Set in 1981 rural Ireland, the story follows Cáit, a withdrawn nine-year-old girl from an impoverished and neglectful home. As her mother nears another pregnancy, Cáit is sent to live with distant relatives, Eibhlín and Seán Cinnsealach, for the summer. Under their patient care, she experiences genuine affection for the first time and begins to "blossom". However, in a household meant to have no secrets, she eventually discovers one painful truth.