In the midst of a harsh winter, young writer Veronika arrives in the Swedish countryside seeking stillness and solitude to come to terms with a recent tragedy. Her arrival is silently observed by gaunt Astrid, her elderly, reclusive neighbour from the farm next door, who in turn guards her own secrets. Astrid tentatively offers comfort in the form of companionship and lovingly home-cooked meals, but their friendship is a stop-start one. As the icy winter gives way to spring, Astrid and Veronika are drawn together and begin to embark on a tender and unusual friendship. Confiding in one another over hot-smoked trout and the new season's strawberries, the two women swap memories of loves lost, and the dark secrets that surround them both begin to come to light ...