Emily's insular poetic world is rocked when Sue introduces her to Sam Bowles, a newspaper editor with a strong interest in publishing women.

Her participation in an Amherst baking contest gives Emily a taste of fame and celebrity, but she questions the benefits.

Torn about whether to allow Sam to publish her work, Emily hosts a séance in search of guidance.

When her poem is finally published in Sam's newspaper, Emily is shocked to discover that she has become invisible to the world.

On the day of a soldier's memorial, Emily's efforts to keep her family's hope alive reach a breaking point and she descends into a personal inferno.