Tirzi's life is overshadowed by taboos and rules. Don't touch another person except with the flat of your hand Don't touch a living animal You must be married as soon as you are fertile You must leave home when your mother becomes pregnant And never leave the women's settlement, where nothing changes. Ever. But when Tirzi finds a way to sneak into the forbidden woods, secrets start to spill out. As she matures, the clock ticks toward a bitter choice. Is there more to life than silence, and blind obedience? If she wants to survive and get answers, she must leave the sister of her heart, and all hope of family. But before she can find happiness in an unexpected friendship, she must contend with a past that will not let go.