A sequence of sketches and short pieces depicts life amid war, centering on Jeanne, a weary mother who sustains a large household while awaiting letters from a loved one, and moving outward to portraits of a woman physician at the front, a pilgrimage to Lourdes, and reflective impressions of battle’s aftermath. The writing alternates intimate domestic scene-painting and reportage, portraying shortages, rationing, fatigue, and the small mercies that keep families and relief workers going, and culminates in a meditation on remembrance and a tentative communal celebration.