Nora is an "heiress," raised for success at any cost. But along the way, she finds love, friends, and meaning beyond mere ambition.

At age 17, Nora is bored with being a teenager in Bordeaux. In her senior year of high school, she meets someone fascinating. Anna, her unsettling philosophy teacher, leads her to discovery love, literature, and the town's worldly bourgeoisie. Later, philosophy degree in hand, Nora goes to Paris, where she lets her work slide in favor of partying. There she meets sexagenarian Maurice, a famous publisher who takes her on as his personal secretary, dictating his memoirs and sexual fantasies. But Anna and Maurice make for dangerous liaisons. Desire, betrayal, and revenge can lead to a brutal end.