Foul-mouthed, scrappy and self-destructive, Steffie is her own worst enemy. Sustained by her sardonic sense of humor, she spends her days working at a dry cleaner and tending to her ailing, impoverished, abusive father. She was always his favorite, a fact that leaves her racked with guilt; her sister, Caroline, who bore the brunt of his rage, fled when they were both teenagers. When her father dies, Steffie sets out to find Caroline, seeking love and forgiveness in a world that too often has denied her both. Along the way, she must confront her own memories and the choices that have brought her to this point.