Late 19th century. Ruben is a young man who, along with his assorted household staff, inhabits a large estate in the country. Ruben is blind and rules the household through fierce tantrums and intimidation. This awful state of affairs comes to a head upon the arrival of Marie, a slightly odd-looking older woman who is just as strong-willed as Ruben. She refuses to become caught up in his power struggles, as she has been hired to read to him and she loves books more than anything else. Emotionally scarred by a childhood trauma, Marie believes herself to be grotesque, so a blind employer relieves her of self-consciousness. Ruben has affection for no one until Marie’s quiet insight into his soul provokes feelings that he has never felt before. In the bleak winter months, these two outsiders find each other. And into their unlikely idyll swoops a doctor who claims that Ruben’s eyesight can be restored through a new procedure. Ruben wants the operation to be able to finally see his true love, but Marie panics, convinced that Ruben will discover she is ugly and her only love will be destroyed.