Nancy 1939: Jeanne and her sister Helène marry brothers Louis and Marc. In the following two months, Louis is drafted into the war against the Germans as an officer in the French army, and shortly afterwards becomes a prisoner of war. For Jeanne, being alone is hard to bear. She begins a liaison with a friend of Louis. To escape her family's reproaches, she moves into a small furnished apartment in the city. There Louis seeks her out at the end of the war. His love is stronger than disappointment, and he forgives Jeanne her misstep. Jeanne, too, wants nothing more than to revive her married life. She becomes pregnant and has twins. The young family moves to Berlin, where Louis gets a job in the occupation force....