Book is in French Montreal, 1945. After years, Mélina reunites with Médard, her lover. Returning from the war, the wounded soldier has retreated into the trenches of silence, but he will soon be involved in an explosive quarrel: when the former bread deliveryman imposes himself as horse groomer, Barthélémy, the brother-in-law of his beloved, leaves the stable in a hurry. The latter also slams the door of his home, Rosita squandering all their money. When he arrives at Mélina's with his suitcase, she decides to keep him as a boarder, but this arrangement is sure to fuel gossip. Little by little, the young widow discovers that she can start a new life without forgetting Antonin. Wishing to please Médard as well as her brother-in-law, she will be the cause of clashes between the two suitors.