For generations, the lives of the respected Hunter and McLauren families have been woven into the fabric of the rural Alabama community. Six-year-old Annabelle, the youngest member of this extended family, is the most vulnerable. Although she is surrounded by loving family members, all are so caught up in their own business of daily living that they do not recognize the signs of the horrible secret that Annabelle is forced to keep. As the summer of 1973 progresses, Annabelle's fear, fury and sorrow become so heavy that those closest to her begin to be haunted by what they see but cannot bring themselves to understand.