A sister and her half-brother are suspicious when the boy's father, who was a heroin addict, returns home for a visit. The father's relapse throws their relationship into chaos, but then he bestows a unique gift on the children before he leaves.

In the 70s, a depressed, overweight, insecure, intellectual teenage girl stays for two weeks with a wealthy family her mother sews clothes for, the members of whom she considers confident and beautiful. She visits the historic house of her favorite novelist and entertains sexual fantasies about the boys. Years later, after becoming an academic, she reflects on the dynamics of gender and power.