following world war ii, the widow antonia and her daughter danielle arrive at antonia's home town where her mother is dying. antonia turns down an offer of marriage from farmer bas, but develops a romance with him anyway. she reunites with her old friend crooked finger, a depressed intellectual who refuses to leave his house. she also begins attracting a following, including deedee, a mentally handicapped girl after she is raped by her brother pitte, and loony lips, a simple-minded man who falls in love with deedee. a pariah, pitte flees the village.