The Moon Is Backwards traces the arc of a woman's life from her childhood in the drought-stricken Northeast of Brazil in the mid-1940s, to her marriage and migration to help build the new capital, Brasília; from an idealistic vision of the future to the brutal reality of the military dictatorship and the constant dangers of her husband's involvement in the resistance. Through it all, Eva's love of cooking sustains her as she fights to build a better future for her family and country.