Janina, in her 60s, lives alone on a high plateau near the forest in Poland. The village is mostly inhabited by summer visitors and Janina is closer to animals than the few other loners around in winter. She studies astrology, teaches English at the local primary school, and helps her friend Dizzy translate the works of William Blake - a mutual passion..

When her dogs disappear her investigation leads nowhere until one of her neighbours chokes on a deer bone (from hunting or poaching) and dies.