Castroux, France, 1939. In a bare farmhouse on a windswept plain above the village, Oriane, orphaned at thirteen, lives in desperate poverty. When the Germans invade, Oriane finds work in a Nazi barracks while her fiancé joins the Resistance. Their simple world is thrown into chaos. Casual brutality is common; rebellion is imminent; revenge will be swift and severe. Castroux, France, 2000. In an idyllic gîte overlooking the quaint village church, British expat Aisling frets about her chocolate parfait, determined to impress her brother-in-law's glamorous fiancée Claudia. But Claudia couldn't care less about chocolate parfait. She's pregnant by another man and terrified of the future. She confides only in an elderly neighbour, Oriane, and discovers that she too once carried a shameful secret - from which she still bears the scars.