The Webb family seems genetically disposed toward medicine. Penny, abused wife, neglectful mother and firebrand elder sister, is a doctor. Don, the middle child, runs a small-town pharmacy. And Jamie, the youngest son, has been self-medicating with heroin for longer than seems physically possible. When Jamie decides to move back after a twenty-year absence, he sets off a reaction in this dysfunctional family which has disastrous consequences. As the plot spins into sexual blackmail and violence, Wilkins explores the nature of chemical dependency and the powerful, often sinister ties that bind families and small-town neighbors together.