Near the end of World War II, Hana, a young French-Canadian nurse haunted by her past, cares for a badly burned man, known only as “the English patient” due to his accent. He remembers little about his own life and identity.

After her mobile army medical unit is ordered to leave the abandoned and crumbling Italian monastery where they were stationed, Hana chooses to stay with her patient, who is unable to travel, until he dies from his wounds.

David Carravaggio, a Canadian intelligence officer arrives at the monastery, and he has grave suspicions about Hana’s patient. Meanwhile, a unit of mine sweepers and bomb diffusers camp out on the monastery’s dilapidated lawn, among them Kip Singh, an attractive young Sikh from India.

Though Hana’s past has hardened her to the possibility of ever finding love again, she and Kip embark on a relationship amidst the danger, death and destruction that surround them.

Then as Hana’s patient begins to reveal glimpses into his past, his words change the lives of all who hear his story.

Insider Tip: Bring a large box of tissues!