When Jean Macquart arrives in the peasant community of Beauce, where farmers have worked the same land for generations, he finds himself involved in the corrupt affairs of the local Fouan family. But, in a community where land is everything, sibling rivalry quickly turns to brutal hatred, as Buteau ...

When Jean Macquart arrives in the peasant community of Beauce, where farmers have worked the same land for generations, he finds himself involved in the corrupt affairs of the local Fouan family. But, in a community where land is everything, sibling rivalry quickly turns to brutal hatred, as Buteau declares himself unsatisfied with his lot.