Abigail (Abby) Thornton is an intellectually-disabled young woman who suffers with an undiagnosed psychiatric condition. Abby resides in several foster placements where she is abused before coming to live at Greenway Developmental Center. At Greenway, she suffers from hallucinations which cause her to harm herself and others; while the Center's Director, Belle Farthing, spends every waking hour trying to rid herself of Abby.

Abby's rollercoaster ride escalates, from fire to murder to strangulation. When a court case lingers, Abby's psychologist, Sally McGraw, is her advocate and defender. She and the social worker, Christine Connelly, have Abby take legal action against the State of Virginia for not providing her with the placement she needs.

The plot focuses on the injustices done to Abby, the political power plays of the staff, the sexual indiscretions of the staff, and the sympathetic support and reactions of the few staff who care about her.c