Author Marianne is investigating the subject of precarious working conditions. She wants to find out what it’s like to do hard, vital work, yet still barely earn enough to live on. In the port town of Caen, she joins a team of cleaners who clean ferries on a piecework basis. She learns of her colleagues’ hopes and dreams and befriends single mum Christèle. But the relationship is put to the test when Marianne’s true identity is revealed.