Emily Riddle is now 19 and has lived her entire life inside a commune led by her father, Owen. This has never been a happy place for her. She is surrounded by people who simply obey her father  Owen, the leader. The entire story has you just holding your breath at times. I can’t even imagine how this life could be and aside from that writing it. It is a very tough subject matter that will conjure up some situations you never would have thought about.  The description of life on this commune is so detailed. The young girls, like Emily are “promised” and have no choice but to enter into an arranged marriage. There is only life inside the chain link fence. There is no communication allowed. woman are more slaves and baby makers than anything. 

 When Emily hears from the worst man she knows, Lorenzo, that she was promised to him, my heart was broken. For the first time she reacts without automatically doing what she was trained to do, say yes and nothing more. She thinks she can’t live with him, have babies, stay married. She meets Tope (who turns out to be the D.A.) and his cousin Levi. It all at once hits her, (bam! little lightning bugs and fairy dust) she is in love with Levi. At that moment she formulates a plot, if not she will die before she marries Lorenzo. She makes some pretty strong statements. It is the turning point where she realizes that this may be the only opportunity she has to leave the commune. It is a know fact you don’t ever leave, if you do you are found dead.

 Along with Em you meet her best friends and her Step Brothers, who are equally sick. They all beat women, talk down to them, marry them and go to the “Commune Hall” at night to have sex with the commune whores. Emily knows her Aunt Tess is her strongest advocate and Aunt Tess is so much stronger than anyone knows. There is where the secrets will unravel. She finds out so many things that leave her broken and feeling like there is no way out.