They say the past is another country but for Australian-born Lily the past is another language: Hungarian, the language of her migrant family, the language of secrets ... But Lily's family secrets hold the key to her father's death from a mysterious illness she may have inherited. Just when any conversation becomes interesting, it trails off into Hungarian - a language Lily was never taught. If there's one thing that Lily's mother and grandmother agree on, it's that Hungarian is impossible to learn. A chance encounter with Eva, the family's nemesis, leads to illicit Hungarian lessons in Eva's coffee shop. Between mouthfuls of black forest cake and Hungarian poetry, Lily learns more than she signed up for. Developing feelings for Nixon, the Hungarian but non-Jewish waiter, is a complication she doesn't need. Can Lily keep her meetings with Eva and relationship with Nixon a secret long enough to unlock the past and possibly save her own life?