Set in Ireland in 1964, in the Magdalene Convent for supposedly 'fallen' women run by the Catholic Church. The story centres around four girls, Crispina and Rose who are unwed mothers, Bernadette who was accused of flirting with boys and Margaret who was raped by her cousin at a family wedding. The girls are incarcerated at the institution and are forced to work long hours and endure humiliation and abuse on a regular basis.