The story begins in a small town in Ireland, where Connell, a popular and athletic teenager, strikes up a secret relationship with Marianne, a social outcast known for her intelligence and aloofness. A year later, they are both studying at Dublin’s Trinity College. Throughout their time in college, drawn to their constant, powerful attraction to one another, they keep coming back to each other magnetically and irresponsibly. Marianne and Connell grapple with issues of power, intimacy, and the lingering effects of trauma.