Jurgis Rudkus, an impoverished Lithuanian immigrant, takes a lowly job at Brown's slaughterhouse to support his young wife and their relatives. Once admiring America for its potential, Rudkus has found opportunities to be too far out of his reach. After being evicted, Rudkus is living in a slum and deeply in debt – unable to support his family. As he attempts to make ends meet, the oppressive working conditions and crippling poverty begin to take a toll on Rudkus and his family.

London: A group of thirty-somethings meet to celebrate a birthday. All seems normal. But, after two years of trying, Claire and Anthony have still not conceived a child, and pulsing with the fear of terrorist attacks, the city is crackling with tension. Befriending a young girl, Nora, Claire finds herself drawn as her maternal instincts begin to blur. Meanwhile, Anthony is forced to question his job as a City Analyst as their safe and secure existence begins to fracture. As Claire retraces the journey she has made since an accident ended her promising career as a ballet dancer in Berlin, she realises her life has moved beyond her control.