The novel begins in 1957 with the prologue of an Italian Jew. This Jew is visiting a cemetery where he sees the Finzi-Continis family, with two slots full in the mausoleum. One of the slots is for their son named Alberto, and another was a personal friend of the narrator. However, he reveals that the entire family died during the Holocaust.
The narrator continues into the first chapter, describing the experiences of his childhood. At the time, there were various groups of Jewish children, almost all of whom were friends with one another. However, the Finzi-Continis family children, one of which was Alberto, were also Jewish, but they did not attend the same school. Instead, they were either homeschooled or went to another school, only appearing at the narrator's place of education to take large exams.
After failing his math exam this year, the narrator rides his bike away from home. He is scared that his father will be very mad at him for what happened. He rides and rides until he ends up by the wall surrounded the Finzi-Continis home. He has a conversation with one of their children, Micol, and she invites him inside to see their garden. He does not accept out of fear, and loses an important opportunity.
The next part of the book skips to when the narrator is a bit older, in college. New laws have been passed preventing the Jewish people from interacting with Christians. The Finzi-Continis family forms a tennis club so that all of the Jewish people can play together, and the narrator joins. The rest of the book follows his involvement with the club, and he claims that he loves Micol. She does not feel the same way about him.
By the end of the book, the reader is to assume that the prologue is actually an epilogue, as this once wonderful family was whisked away by the horrors of World War II.
