The story centers around Sethe, a former slave living in Cincinnati, Ohio with her daughter Denver. Sethe is haunted by the ghost of her baby daughter, whom she killed to save from a life of slavery.

Sethe's dead daughter returns as a mysterious young woman named Beloved, who comes to live with Sethe and Denver. Beloved quickly becomes a dominating presence, consuming all of Sethe's attention and energy. The novel moves back and forth between 1873 and flashbacks to Sethe's time as a slave on the Sweet Home plantation in Kentucky.

The arrival of Beloved forces Sethe to confront her past and the horrific choice she made to kill her child.