In 1945, Grace Stewart resides in a remote country house in Jersey, a Channel Island formerly occupied by the Germans, with her two young children, Anne and Nicholas, both of whom suffer from a severe sensitivity to light. Because of this, Grace keeps the home darkened with heavy curtains. One day, Mrs. Bertha Mills, Edmund Tuttle, and the mute Lydia arrive, all seeking employment. Grace hires them as the housekeeper, gardener, and maid, and is pleased to learn the three worked in the same house