"Zodie is a beautiful and charismatic woman with a desire for luxury that lies just beyond her reach. But she is also damaged, haunted by the demons of her past--turning to sex, tranquilizers, and alcohol to cope. For her daughters, Mary Zoe and Sissy, that means facing daily abuse and neglect, whether at the hands of Zodie herself or the many men she brings home. And when Sissy flies the coop, Mary Zoe is left to fend for herself as her mother's behaviour becomes increasingly dangerous. Facing fires, sexual abuse, and beatings, Mary Zoe finds refuge with a loving foster family, only to discover that her problems have just begun. Luckily Mary Zoe has the grit of a survivor. But in the 1960s, when families are held together at all costs, it's a long and torturous road, a road that Zoe bravely travels to escape her personal hell. "--