Madeline Taylor

In a quiet suburban town in the summer of 1958, two recently orphaned sisters are placed in the care of their mentally unstable Aunt Ruth. But Ruth's depraved sense of discipline will soon lead to unspeakable acts of abuse and torture that involve her young sons, the neighborhood children, and one 12-year-old boy whose life will be changed forever.

A series of vignettes takes us across the City of Oaks to some of the iconic landmarks and places, featuring stories about people looking for friendship and companionship, but not exactly finding it the way they thought they would.

A girl grieving the horrific loss of her parents moves in with relatives, who try their best to welcome her into the family.