Ronald Mitchell is an American researching the 19th century English poet Randolph Henry Ashe. By chance, he discovers that the poet had an affair with a female poet, Christabel La Motte. His research brings him to the doorstep of a feminist academic, who is researching said poet. Their joint research takes them into realms beyond what they thought they would reach. Based on the novel by the same name, Neil LaBute's film explores the same questions he has tackled in his previous films - the conflict between heart and mind, the simultaneous yearning for and repulsion from love.