A village idiot and an articulate writer forge an unusual bond after a chance meeting in a local park. Germain is in his fifties, and completely illiterate; Margueritte is in her nineties, and shares her passion for writing with anyone who will listen. Her favorite pastime is to sit in the park and read excerpts from her novel for passersby. When lumbering Germain shares a park bench with Margueritte, her reading aloud helps him to connect with his inner intellectual. Little does Germain realize that Margueritte is getting as much out of their relationship as he is; as Germain becomes more literate, Margueritte discovers a unique friendship that she never thought possible.