Jesús Dionisio Picero is a craftsman who lives in a small village where he makes small religious sculptures. One day, Picero's youngest son comes home from the military barracks with a baby. He can’t care for the baby while in the military, so Picero and his wife agree to raise their granddaughter, Claveles.

Picero’s wife dies when Claveles is still a young girl, leaving the two of them alone. In his grief, Picero starts drinking and neglects the housework. His artwork—changed after his loss—no longer sells well. At 14, Claveles leaves home to get a job.

After a year and a half, Claveles returns home. She is pregnant and finds her grandfather living in poverty. Her presence revives some of his former spirit. Claveles gives birth to a boy, Juan. Soon, they realize that Juan can’t hear. The doctor advises them to send Juan away to be cared for and educated at a specialized institution, but Picero refuses.

Picero invents a sign language for his grandson, and the two become close. Juan learns to read faces and emotions very effectively, and he develops an independence that far exceeds his years. When Juan is seven, Picero wants to send him to school to learn to read and write, but the school in town cannot accommodate a deaf student.