Adrienne falls into a 7 month depression after falling off a bench while holding a friend's baby—spraining her spine, killing the baby, and traumatizing her. Her boyfriend Martin helps her through the depression, and eventually, they marry and move to Italy for Martin's academic fellowship. At the villa, the rooms are beautiful but the people are somewhat insufferable academics. Adrienne is given a studio to do with what she will, but she spends most of her time killing the spiders there.
The scholars make terrible conversation that makes Adrienne feel like an outsider but she is able to make friends with some of the other spouses. They recommend her to a masseuse in the villa, Ilke. Adrienne starts to go to her, and finds the experience transformative. She still struggles with her guilt over the death of the baby, and finds she is having some difficulty within her marriage to Martin.
After a particularly intense massage session, Adrienne sees Martin on her way home. She also stops by a palm reader, who tells her she is sexually unsatisfied with her current partner. In a strange mood, Adrienne drifts up to a meadow, takes all her clothes off, and falls asleep, dreaming of babies, herself, and Martin. She is awoken by a concerned tour guide, and finds her way back to the villa.
Adrienne finds out that Martin has been seeing the masseuse as well, and is furious that he didn't tell her—she had wanted to keep the experience to herself somehow. Martin is upset, anxious at her anger, and then telling her that he is lonely as well, but has been trying to give her space, to take care of her as best he can. He starts to cry, and Adrienne finally breaks and asks him to forgive her. Of course, he says.