Jogging outside the town of Goddard, New Hampshire, Naomi Roth finds the body of a newborn baby girl floating face-down in the Sabbathday River. News of the dead child spreads quickly through Goddard, and Naomi is shocked when the community swiftly, implausibly makes its own accusations. Heather Pratt, a young single mother infamous for her affair with a married man, must be the prime suspect. It comes as an even greater shock when, after a long interrogation behind closed doors, Heather confesses to the crime.
Moved and angered by Heather's plight, and increasingly isolated in this small New England town, Naomi engages the help of Judith Friedman, a friend and a lawyer, to defend the young woman. But when the truth at the heart of this astonishing case finally comes to light, it is Naomi who must confront how little she has truly understood her town, her friend and herself.
