As his tale begins， Orlando is a passionate young nobleman whose days are spent in rowdy revelry， filled with the colorful delights of Queen Elizabeth's court. By the close, he will have transformed into a modern， 36-year-old woman and three centuries will have passed. Orlando will not only witness the making of history from its edge， but will find that his unique position as a woman who knows what it is to be a man will give him insight into matters of the heart.