One day in August, Jane wakes to find her husband and five-year-old son have vanished without a trace. In a single moment, all men - everywhere - have mysteriously disappeared. In the wake of this terrible loss, theories abound.

As Jane grapples with her grief and bewilderment, the world around her scrambles to reshape itself and begins to transform into a kind of feminist utopia, with Jane's new lover - mesmeric activist and organiser Evangelyne - as its de facto leader. Then Jane discovers something that might bring back the men - but at what cost?