Edith Howland’s diary is her most precious possession. After moving with her family from New York City to suburban Pennsylvania, Edith’s husband abandons her for a younger woman, leaving her trapped in a bleak existence with her degenerate son and his senile uncle. As Edith’s life turns sour, she retreats into her writing; and while her life plunges into chaos, a disturbing tale of success and happiness blooms in her diary. She invents a happy life, and as she knits for imaginary grandchildren, the real world recedes further still, marking a descent into madness that may well be unstoppable.