Marta's daughter, Hilde, is quarantined with tuberculosis, Marta moves in to care for her granddaughter, Carolyn. The two form a special bond, even as tensions arise between Marta and Hilde. When a family tragedy threatens Carolyn's newfound freedom as a college student in San Francisco, she disappears for two years, returning home later with a daughter of her own, determined to help heal the deep hurt that has plagued her family for years.