Set against Indonesia’s turbulent post-independence years in the 1960s, the story revolves around the domestic life of a woman whose personal life has been completely overturned by the political turmoil.

A teenager named Jani holds resentment towards her mother, whom she holds accountable for her older sister's departure from home. Winnie, the single parent, is preoccupied with shouldering the family responsibilities, leaving little room to comprehend her two children. Both Winnie and Nainai (Jani's grandmother who lives with them) continue to anticipate Julia's return, while Jani maintains clandestine communication with her.