Ireland, late sixties. Four Irishwomen struggle for independence under the coercive control of a Church/male-dominated society. Della O'Reilly marries Ed Egan and settles into rural life with his parents, but his narcissistic lifestyle forces her to leave before the birth of their first child. Ed's father threatens to disinherit him. Della returns. Still, Ed strains at the leash, but their marriage survives because of the intense chemistry between them.

Joe Lenihan abuses their wife, Laura, a devout Catholic, in drunken rages, and she never escapes his clutches until death finally liberates her and their children.

Olive Keating, a strong, independent woman in a fractious union with her husband Mark, argues with him in public, breaks a bottle of wine on his head, and enters politics. He leaves her for a younger woman. When she is terminally ill, Olive lures Mark back.

Margie Malone, a slave in her brother's house, endures a culture of stagnation within a disdainful, vigilant Church society that pulverises unmarried mothers.

Ed and Della review their relationship during a marriage encounter weekend and reignite the flames of a once-consuming desire. Finally, Della accepts the nuances of human conduct but can never shed the damage to her mind and soul.