A young woman marries a significantly older man despite the objection of her dear aunt; her objections are heightened when she finds her niece is marrying solely for money. Her husband, an anthropologist, is off on field research and the young bride does not expect the old man to live more than 5 years. After as many years living with a South American tribe with very strict notions of morality and a system of justice that relies on divine intervention that is either liberating or fatal, the wife grows tired and seeks to escape. 