Anna Olson, almost thirteen, hides something terrible that happened to her. That traumatic experience has stripped her of the ability to talk, and she now faces nightmarish fears. Torn from her sister, she must survive forty days in a residential treatment center with nothing but her demons to keep her company.
With much difficulty, Anna begins to realize that she can and must face the reality of her life. She finds strength in the words of a dead poet, an amputee, an arsonist, a thief, and a horse. Each of them, in their own strange ways, leads her to discover herself.
Still, demons linger. Can Anna overcome the wicked ways of Terrible Ted, deal with reality, and not get lost in the safety of her own head? Faced with rejection, fear, disillusionment, and ultimately hope, the final choice is up to Anna.