L'histoire d'Adèle H: Halifax, 1863. A young woman, miss Lewly, comes to Halifax to search for Lt Pinson, whom she is madly in love with. Actually, she is Adele Hugo, the second daughter of the great French poet. The Lt Pinson does not answer to her love and made her understand it is hopeless. But Adele is obsessed by him and keeps chasing and harassing him. This film about passionnate and obesseive love, and self-destruction, has been written from real Adele Hugo's diary.