The story follows Estrella, a young girl who grows up in post-war Spain under the watchful eye of her father, Agustín, a mysterious man with a complex past. Agustín works as a doctor and spends much of his time dowsing for water, a skill that fascinates Estrella. As she traverses through her childhood, Estrella becomes increasingly curious about her father’s background, sensing an emotional distance between them. In their northern home, she hears fragments of stories about Agustín's early life in the south, piecing together wisps of his former relationships and political affiliations that imbue his melancholy demeanor.

Estrella's curiosity about her father's hidden past intensifies as she transitions into adolescence. She discovers tantalizing clues and overhears conversations that hint at a significant and poignant episode in Agustín's life, involving another woman who remains an enigma. Eager to understand the source of her father's sorrow and the hidden world he left behind, Estrella becomes determined to uncover the truths shrouded in her father's reticent nature. Her journey of discovery ultimately illuminates the complex layers of identity, memory, and emotional inheritance within her family.