Tammy Dietz grew up committed to her family's Mormon faith, a profoundly patriarchal hierarchy that declares men superior and women subordinate, that demands devotion, purity, and chastity. But when the dogma of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints clashes with the forces of a changing world, Tammy's destiny transforms. Patriarchy provides order but also chaos in a family with a depressed mother and a hoarding father. Set in the affluent Bay Area, Tammy's coming-of-age story is one of poverty amid wealth and a desire for status, recognition, and inclusion, both inside the Church and out. But when Tammy breaks the most serious of rules, her once certain path falters, her once protective community turns intrusive, and she finds herself on an unexpected journey.