The book is composed of two parallel narratives, the dominant of which revolves around the life of Eva Luna. Beginning with her mother's recounting of her own life, Eva's story is preemptively intertwined with her mom's. She was conceived while her father lay dying of a poisoned snake bite. Although he survives, he dies sometime later following Eva's mom's death; she chokes on a chicken bone. On her own as a young adult, Eva makes the acquaintance of a handsome young man named Huberto Naranjo. She falls in love with him, but her perspective is tainted because he is her sole benefactor. Eventually he places her in a brothel called La Señora where she is fondly looked after, but she longs to reunite with Naranjo.
When a new police chief arrives, the brothel is immediately shut down. Destitute, Eva meets a man named Riad Halabi and agrees to move to Agua Santa with him. The situation is complicated, however, because he lives with his wife, Zulema. Eva joins the household as a helper, but she is strictly Halabi's consort. Some years later Halabi's cousin Kamal moves in. Zulema becomes infatuated in him and seduces him one day, but he regrets the affair and leaves. Zulema commits suicide. Rumors spread throughout the village, and Eva is arrested for her mistress' murder. Although Halabi is able to bribe the police and rescue her, he cannot allow her stay any longer for fear of violence from the rest of the villagers.
Eva conducts a series of affairs after this. She spends some time with a transsexual woman named Mimi, but her heart still belongs to her benefactor Naranjo. Occasionally he stops in, and they spend some passionate nights together. As time passes, however, Eva notices more and more undesirable qualities in her lover. He is a military man and brings his soldier mannerisms and traumatic baggage with him. Although she loves him, Eva quickly realizes that she cannot be the wife of a guerilla fighter.
Meanwhile, the side-plot, introduces the life of Rolf Carle, the man whom Eva will marry. Growing up with an abusive soldier father in Eastern Europe, he witnessed the brutal oppression of his mother. Eventually his father is murdered by some of the young men in their town. Rolf's mom sends him to South America to live with his aunt and uncle who can provide for him better. He studies journalism, undertaking a project on guerrilla fighters. He meets Naranjo and Eva through work. As time passes, he and Eva fall for one another, but Rolf is a man on a mission. He persuades Eva to help him rescue nine prisoners who are guerrillas he knows. Successfully freeing these men, he and Eva return to his uncle's home where they make love and promise to be married.
