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Dawn Cutler arrives in New York City after leaving her family's hotel, Cutler's Cove, located in Virginia. She is relieved to be away from her biological family, which is filled with self-obsessed liars. When Dawn arrives at the boarding house, she meets the owner, Agnes, who is already prejudiced against Dawn due to a letter from Grandmother Cutler, describing Dawn as 'promiscuous and spoiled'. Dawn forms a strong bond of friendship with her roommate, a dancer named Trisha and eventually earns Agnes's trust. Dawn and Trisha both attend the Bernhardt School For The Arts.
Dawn studies singing with Michael Sutton, a famous opera singer. The lessons gradually become more and more intimate. Dawn is confused by Michael's attentions but does not know where to turn for advice. Michael eventually seduces Dawn and fills her head with ideas of them singing together on the stage. It is not long before Dawn discovers she is pregnant with Michael's baby. When she tells him, he seems happy and promises that they will marry and she will still have the stage career he promised her. The next time she goes to his apartment, Dawn finds that Michael has disappeared, leaving no forwarding address or message for her. She realises he has abandoned her and that she is alone, pregnant and has nowhere to go. On her way back to the boarding house, Dawn is hit by a car. When she wakes up in hospital, she sees Grandmother Cutler, who tells Dawn that she knows about the pregnancy and that Dawn's life in New York is over and she will be staying at the family plantation, The Meadows, for the duration of her pregnancy. Dawn is bundled off to Virginia immediately after being released from hospital, unable to say goodbye to Trisha.
Luther, the family handyman, picks Dawn up from the bus station, and drives her to the isolated, dilapidated plantation, which is currently inhabited by Grandmother Cutler's sisters, Emily and Charlotte Booth. The younger sister Charlotte is mentally disabled but friendly. The older sister Emily is hostile and tells Dawn that she is an embarrassment to the family and has been sent to The Meadows in order to avoid any scandal. Emily keeps Dawn in a small, window-less room and insists that she use an ancient oil lamp, with only kerosene to last her one week. Dawn finds out that though The Meadows does have electricity, Emily refuses to turn it on because of the expense. Emily makes her grand-niece do nearly all the housework, including physical tasks such as scrubbing the floors and carrying heavy objects. She even feeds Dawn castor oil in an attempt to induce a miscarriage.
Despite the abuse, Dawn carries the baby full term and gives birth to a girl, whom she names Christie. After giving birth, she holds her daughter once but then the baby is taken away so she can rest. When Dawn wakes up and asks for her baby, Emily tells her that the baby was born too small, leading Dawn to believe the baby died. When she wakes again, Emily gives Dawn back her clothes and tells her that Luther is going to take her to the bus station so she can leave. To Dawn's surprise, Jimmy shows up on the doorstep. He says he became concerned when Dawn didn't respond to his letters and Trisha told him what had happened. Jimmy interrogates Emily, forcing her to reveal that Grandmother Cutler arranged for Christie to be adopted. Dawn tries to apologize to Jimmy for what happened, but Jimmy says that he forgives her because she was taken advantage of.
Dawn discovers that Grandmother Cutler is in hospital after a stroke. She goes to the hospital and asks about her daughter, but Grandmother Cutler dies without revealing Christie's location, only stating that Dawn is her "curse". At the reading of her grandmother's will, Dawn discovers the meaning of her grandmother's final words: Laura Sue was raped by her father-in-law and Dawn is the product of that rape. Dawn's grandfather had specified a certain part of his will only be read after the death of his wife: it not only confirms that he is Dawn's biological father but that he also left her a significant part of his fortune and his ownership of the hotel. Dawn confronts Laura Sue about the rape but her mother refuses to speak about what happened, preferring to focus on Dawn being the de facto owner of the hotel and that Dawn will need help if she wants to run things the 'proper way'. Disgusted, Dawn replies she has no interest in her mother's advice, adding that she wouldn't care if the hotel burned to the ground. The book ends with Dawn and Jimmy leaving to retrieve Christie.
Characters
Michael Sutton: A famous opera singer and the father of Christie. He seduces Dawn with fake affection and promises of marriage and a famous singing career. He later abandons her when she becomes pregnant with Christie.
Christie Longchamp: Dawn's daughter with Michael.
Emily Booth: Older sister of Lillian and Charlotte. She is a religious fanatic and controlling to everyone.
Charlotte Booth: Younger sister of Lillian and Emily. She is mentally retarded and acts as an innocent, cheerful child.
Luther: A caretaker of the Booth plantation. He is treated as a servant by Emily.
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