Nomi Nickel lives with her father, Ray, in East Village, a small Mennonite town in Manitoba. She dreams of escaping from a life governed by the strict rules of her faith; no dancing, make-up, temperate climates or staying up past nine o'clock. But since her mother and sister left home, it's hard to imagine leaving her father behind. As Nomi gets to the bottom of her mother's and sister's disappearances, she finds herself on a direct collision course with her uncle and the only community she has ever known. With fierce originality and brilliance, Miriam Toews takes us straight to the center of Nomi's world and the complicated kindness at the heart of family life.