Through the 1980s and into the 1990s, the Brossards didn"t have much to worry about; they raised a prosperous family, as might be expected of a successful cabinet minister. But, with Thomas"s electoral defeat, the world outside their home becomes less inviting. After Thomas"s ill-fated run for mayor of Montreal leaves him a failure, he attempts to overcome his lack of success with the help of Louise, who finds a Catholic charity in need of a political figure to investigate their projects in Africa. When Thomas disappears in war-stricken Burundi on his fact-finding mission, Louise becomes trapped inside their house in Montreal by her own fears; she is left to fret about her continually blurring past, piecing together how she has reached this sudden point of loneliness and isolation.