World War II in France. Marie Latour, a mother of two children, performs illegal abortions and rents a room to a prostitute who is familiar to her in order to make ends meet on a limited budget. She ignores her husband, who has returned from the battlefield as a result of his injuries, and goes about her business as usual. Fertility treatments steadily increase in value, and boredom can be easily alleviated by enlisting the help of a young lover.