Sam Hughes, an eighteen-year-old living in rural Kentucky, struggles to reconcile the lingering, invisible trauma of the Vietnam War with her own search for identity. Following the death of her father in the conflict before she was born, Sam navigates the daily reality of her uncle Emmett, who suffers from the physical and psychological aftermath of Agent Orange exposure. The narrative, presented through a close third-person perspective, tracks Sam's attempts to bridge the gap between her generation and the veterans who returned to a society that refused to acknowledge their pain. She faces the inertia of her small-town environment and the silence surrounding the war, eventually seeking a visceral connection to her father's history.

This novel is widely recognized for its authentic portrayal of the post-Vietnam era and the domestic impact of the conflict on those left behind. Critics often highlight the author's ability to capture the specific cultural atmosphere of the 1980s while addressing the heavy, unresolved legacy of the war. The narrative is frequently praised for its restraint and its focus on the quiet, daily struggles of its characters rather than grand, sweeping declarations. It remains a significant work in the literature of the Vietnam War for its focus on the civilian and veteran experience in the American heartland.