Harriet Browning is a novelist in her 40s who has recently moved into a house in
Old Ottawa South with her husband, Lew, and their two children Jane and Kenny. Harriet has trouble adjusting to life in
Ottawa with her lone friend being her neighbour, Dinah Bloom, a life-long bachelorette and journalist who, like Harriet and her children, has an obsessive love of cinema. Harriet receives a letter from her aunt, Leah, who informs her that she is writing a book on her deceased husband's life in conjunction with her step-son, Jack Frame. Both Jack and Leah decide to come to
Ottawa as papers they need for their book are stored at
Library and Archives Canada. Harriet has an antagonistic relationship with her aunt, whom she used as material for one of her novels. She is nevertheless persuaded into hosting her and Leah's visit coincides with the
January 1998 North American ice storm. Harriet has had a long held flirtation with Jack Frame and finds herself drawn to him once again. At the same time Dinah develops a tumour and her illness causes her attraction to Lew and Lew's attraction to Dinah to become more apparent to both them and their surrounding friends and family. After a tree overburdened with ice falls and kills one of their neighbours Harriet confronts Dinah about her relationship with Lew only for Dinah to tell her that Lew is only seriously interested in Harriet. Meanwhile, Jack tries to start an affair with Harriet and she rebuffs him. Dinah convalesces and eventually marries Jack Frame, against Harriet's wishes, and decides to move to
Nova Scotia with him. Harriet develops cancer and turns against movies. Shortly before her death she reconnects with them once more thanks to Kenny. The following year after her marriage to Jack Frame collapses Dinah returns to
Old Ottawa South. When she re-encounters Lew, Jane senses romance between her father and Dinah. ==Characters==