Paris, 1869. Houses are being razed, whole neighborhoods reduced to ashes. By order of Emperor Napoleon III, Baron Haussman has set into motion a series of large-scale renovations that will permanently alter the face of old Paris, moulding it into a modern city. In the midst of the tumult, one woman will take a stand. Rose Bazelet is determined to fight against the destruction of her home; as others flee, she stakes her claim in the basement of the house on rue Childebert, ignoring the sounds of change that come closer and closer each day. Attempting to overcome the loneliness of her daily life, she begins to write letters to Armand, her late husband. And as she delves into her memories, Rose is forced to come to terms with a secret that has been buried deep in her heart for thirty years.