Duff Rafferty, a 14-year-old sole child from St. Paul, Minnesota, finds himself orphaned after a tragic accident claims his parents' lives. Transported to Washington, D.C., with the expectation of joining distant family members, his situation takes a turn for the worse when his awaiting relatives do not appear, leading to his detention by airport security.

After a grueling day of being shuttled between law enforcement and child welfare services, Duff finds himself placed in a small home in a fictional community outside Washington, D.C. with two unkind women who imprison him in a basement bedroom. Isolated from friends and relatives who are unaware of his whereabouts, Duff is denied any means of contacting loved ones - no phone, mail, or computer access.

In the two months that follow, Duff grapples with feelings of isolation and unease while he contends with bullying at his new school and ongoing berating by his caretakers. Nonetheless, a sequence of occurrences transpires, altering the mood within the household significantly. This shift alleviates the oppressive weight that Duff has been bearing, ushering in an unexpected reprieve.