在把两个未成年的女儿鲁丝和露西尔托付给母亲后,海伦自杀了。外祖母也在七年后去世。外祖母的两位姐妹,莉莉和诺娜便接着抚养两个孩子。姨祖母将海伦的妹妹西尔维找来照看鲁丝和露西尔。脾气古怪的西尔维喜怒无常,两姐妹对她抱有的美好幻想破灭了。无法忍受的露西尔离家出走,被一位好心的老师收留,对西尔维有着依恋之情的鲁丝却留了下来。西尔维带着鲁丝去旅行,但回来后却不得不面对当地那些“有教养和身份”的家庭主妇的议论和猜忌.....In the Pacific Northwest during the 1950's, two young sisters whose mother has abandoned them wind up living with their Aunt Sylvie, whose views of the world and its conventions don't quite...