France on June 6th, 1944, the day of the Normandy invasion. After taking part in a competition at the Paris Conservatory, the 14-year-old Michel and his mother Marcelle want to return to their hometown Saint-Lô. At the St. Lazare station they make the aquaintance of Yvette who explains them that there are no more trains leaving today. The young pregnant woman, later turns out not be pregnant but Jewish and a member of the French resistance, blessed with considerable talent for acting. A quality that helps her "organize" three rare bicycles, with which they set out for Saint-Lô. On their way through the pittoresque countryside of the Ile-de-France Michel falls in love with Yvette, while the two women become friends as well. Soon the trio gets into dangerous situations as the front between the German and the Alliied troops crosses their route. As they encounter American soldiers the boy listens to jazz music for the first time in his life. Michel and Yvette escape the fighting unharmed, and in their relief spontaneously allow their feelings
full bent - under a bush in a field littered with corpes of the newly dead. This way these five days in June become formative for Michel`s entire life.