Beneath the Basque Beret chronicles the life of Santiago Echeverría, a Basque Resistance fighter who dreams of democratic independence for his homeland. When his father is executed by a fascist colonel, Santiago and his brother, Miguel, avenge his death. Pursued by Franco's military, the brothers make a daring escape to France. But just when it looks like their fortunes are changing, they are tracked down by the French gendarmes. Through a network of Basque sympathizers, Santiago escapes in a ship to Canada, hides out at a logging camp in northern Québec and eventually settles in Montréal.

When the Spanish Civil War ends and Franco seizes power, Santiago learns that the ruthless dictator is continuing the genocide of thousands of Basques that began with the sadistic bombing of Guernica by Hitler's Airforce. Santiago returns to Spain planning to assassinate his father's killer and to join a growing underground movement to stop the mass executions and oppression. He had always been taught that it was better to die on your feet than to live on your knees. But as he and his comrades begin to close in on Franco himself, they may in fact be bringing themselves even closer to the garotte, fearing neither torture nor death.