Mavie is 27 years old and has just moved to the French capital from the provinces. She dreams of a future as a writer but is plagued by doubt and uncertainty. 76-year-old misanthrope Georges runs a bookshop in Paris – or has he merely been forced to take refuge there to escape his past? These are two peculiar creatures indeed. Georges is cynical and no longer expects much from life, while Mavie is still brimming with expectation. Yet something magical happens between them, until Georges' dark secret suddenly catches up with him – and Mavie is caught up in something very different...