In the picturesque village of Smiljevo in the Dalmatian hinterland, tragedy strikes when Tatjana’s husband, a guest worker in Germany dies in a fall from a construction site, leaving her mute with grief for thirteen months. After regaining her voice, Tatjana defies her sister Ljubica and uses her late husband’s insurance money to purchase a barren, rocky hill from an elderly villager. Her risky decision proves unexpectedly fortunate when, a year and a half later, the route of a new highway cuts through the land, transforming her into the wealthiest and most desirable unmarried woman in the region. As Tatjana comes to terms with her growing feelings for the young local priest, Father Stipan, the return of Marinko, a rough expatriate from Germany brings new tensions to the village, along with his daughter Julijana. Matters become even more entangled when the charming haiku poet Stanislav falls in love with Julijana. The situation reaches a new turning point with the arrival of a military unit led by Father Stipan’s twin brother, General Ivica, further complicating life in the small but increasingly eventful village of Smiljevo.