In the summer of 1960, 14 year-old Robbie Sutpen stays with her childless aunt and uncle, Paul and Eloise Kirkland, while her jet-setting parents, Pan and Hugh, go to Hilton Head for the weekend. Despite Paul and Eloise's fondness for her and their eagerness to make her feel welcome, Robbie can't help but feel the tension caused by their deteriorating marriage. Robbie begins to question Paul about her Uncle Michael, a paratrooper who died in Sicily during World War II. She learns that Paul was a Troop Carrier Pilot who flew Michael, his own brother, into Sicily where he died with other paratroopers in his unit. Through her insistent inquiries, Robbie begins to unravel the truth about her Aunt Eloise's prior relationship with Michael. Ultimately, Robbie's questions force Paul to acknowledge the truth that despite his struggle to make things right for himself and Eloise, everything in his life is undermined by his self-destructive grief.