Piccino is a young boy who lives in the periphery of an old Italian town of Ceraini. Accompanied by his donkey and his dog, he extracts money from foreign tourists for living. One day, Piccino catches the eye of a wealthy lady from England who desires to adopt him, wash him, and turn him into a decent, fine boy. Thus begin the horrifying two days of washing, scrubbing and cleaning.

Frances Eliza Hodgson Burnett (1849-1924) was a British novelist and playwright. She is best known for the three children's novels Little Lord Fauntleroy, A Little Princess, and The Secret Garden, although her romantic adult novels were also popular, according to list of bestselling novels in the United States. Burnett was well known in Washington society and hosted a literary salon on Tuesday evenings, often attended by politicians, as well as local literati. She enjoyed socializing and lived a lavish lifestyle. She traveled to England frequently and in the 1890s bought a home there, where she wrote The Secret Garden.