Pregnancy forces Kelly Nolan into marriage at the age of sixteen. However, should she give up her lifelong dreams of going to college and escaping poverty because of her husband Rocky's patriarchal, old-fashioned beliefs about the role of women in marriage? When Kelly begins to defy her husband's dictates, getting a job and enrolling in college, Rocky gets dirty, trying to prevent the loss of the only life he knows and keeping his wife subordinate to his demands. Kelly's blind allegiance to her husband, and her unwillingness to see his true character or the choices he is making, lead her into even greater danger.
