A story set after a disaster turns the mainland into a poisonous site, where three adult daughters - Grace, Leah, and Sky - of parents named King and Mother - find refuge on a very small island.

The girls came to the island when they were young, but they no longer realized how long they had been there. The girls were raised to believe that emotions, especially those of men, were difficult to control and led to the chemical destruction of the mainland.

Men's uncontrolled emotions and the violence they inflict continue to be the greatest threat to the surviving family, so the parents used daily exercises to associate negative physical sensations—mostly pain—with their daughters' emotional responses.

Through this family's story, young British writer Sophie Mackintosh explores the question of whether it makes sense to place the responsibility on women to keep themselves safe in a dangerous world.

The outside world is full of toxins, which can cause significant damage to the human body, especially women, if proper preventative measures are not taken to protect their bodies. These damages include skin withering, body wasting and hunching, fatigue, hair loss, delirium, and unexplained bleeding from anywhere, particularly the eyes, ears, and nails, as well as red halos around women's eyes.