A novelist attends the trial of a woman accused of killing her 15-month-old daughter by abandoning her to the rising tide on a beach in northern France. But as the trial continues, her own family history, doubts, and fears about motherhood are steadily dislodged as the life story of the accused is gradually revealed.
In the near future where emotions have become a threat, Gabrielle finally decides to purify her DNA in a machine that will immerse her in her past lives and rid her of any strong feelings. She then meets Louis and feels a powerful connection, as if she had known him forever.
Victoria, a little black girl aged 8 from a humble background, happens to spend the night with the bourgeois family of Thomas, one of her classmates. Years later, they see each other again and Marie is the fruit of their fleeting relationship. But Victoria decides not to tell Thomas and raises her child alone. When Marie turns seven, Victoria decides that her daughter must have a better future and again turns to this family that she lost sight of long ago.
