In a small town, Franca, a single mother, tries to hold on to her last remaining child, Juan, while society, the justice system, and her own past seem to conspire to take him away. With no child support and her older children in the hands of an unfaithful ex-husband, she survives by stealing food, negotiating with lawyers, and dealing with the critical gaze of a traditional town and her mother, a flirtatious woman who, despite loving her, constantly reminds her of her mistakes.