Alice Lea plants a rock garden, but when Charlie Lukas brashly promises her roses along with a marriage proposal, she jumps at the chance for storybook happiness. Alice falls ill the day after Charlie proposes; his attention and concern as she recuperates promote a too-quick marriage. The Great Depression wanes, and WWII looms ahead when they marry. Gnawing unhappiness arises as they experience the stresses of wartime and raising a family, including a son with an unexplained dysfunction. In addition, Alice is bothered by an unresolved childhood incident and fears that her polio is returning when she has moments of paralysis when stressed. Charlie forges a secret relationship with a previous girlfriend and hides his secret well while involving other friends with his obsession. Years pass before Alice learns the truth and gathers strength for revenge. In idealizing her fictional heroines, Alice goes overboard and seals Charlie's fate. Other main characters in the story are Alice's brother and parents, Charlie's sisters, and the Lukas children Judy and Benny. The story unfolds in an unnamed major Kentucky city from 1937 to 1992 and is told from alternating points of view between Alice and Charlie, some of it through Alice's diary entries.