In which Carol Kennicott wrestles with the silent austerity of her home and the reticence of Gopher Prairie’s social circles, finding unexpected camaraderie and thought-provoking conversation with the unconventional handyman, Bjornstam. She endeavours to infuse culture and conviviality into her constrained surroundings, balancing her earnest intellectual quests with the lively, if somewhat narrow, amusements of village life.