This novel is a story between two young painters in a Washington slum, Sue and johnsy, and their neighbor, Behrman. Johnsy developed severe pneumonia on a cold winter, and it got worse and worse. She placed the hope of her life on the last vine leaf outside the window, thinking that when the vine leaf fell, it was the end of her life. Then, she lost the courage and faith to live . Her friend Sue was sad and told Behrman, the old painter, of Johnsy's idea. The old painter was a hot - tempered, teasing drunkard who lived in the company of wine. He had been painting for nearly forty years, but he had done nothing. Despite his bad temper and rudeness, he took good care of the two young artists. When he heard about it, he cursed but there was nothing he could do.

However, an amazing thing happened: even though the wind was blowing so hard outside, and the edge of the serrated leaf was withered and yellow, it still grew on the vine branch high above the ground . 

Seeing the last leaf still hanging on the tree, johnsy thought that how could she want to die  that the leaf could  even survive the bitter wind? So she regained the faith of life, tenaciously survived. 

But the story does not end there, the truth just surfaced: it was behrman, who was over 60, that had painted the last vine leaf on a stormy night. He caught pneumonia and died from it. At the end of his life, he finally completed his stunning masterpiece.