tˈoʊld pɹaɪmˈɛɹᵻli fɹʌmðə vjˈuːpɔɪnt ʌv hˈɛvən kˈæstiːlz mˈʌðɚ, lˈiː vˈæn vˈoːɹiːn, ðə nˈɑːvəl ɛksplˈeɪnz hɜː sˈiːkɹᵻts ænd sˈɜːkəmstˌænsᵻz æz ɐ θˈɜːtiːnjˈɪɹˈoʊld ɡˈɜːl hˌuː wʌz fˈoːɹst tə flˈiː hɜː wˈɛlθi bˈɔstən hˈoʊm, ɹɪzˈʌltɪŋ ɪn hɜː dˈaɪɪŋ ɪn tʃˈaɪldbɜːθ ænd lˈiːvɪŋ bᵻhˌaɪnd hɜː dˈɔːɾɚ, hˈɛvən, təbi ɹˈeɪzd ɪnðə hˈɪlz ʌv wˈɛst vɜːdʒˈɪniə.
Told primarily from the viewpoint of Heaven Casteel's mother, Leigh VanVoreen, the novel explains her secrets and circumstances as a 13-year-old girl who was forced to flee her wealthy Boston home, resulting in her dying in childbirth and leaving behind her daughter, Heaven, to be raised in the hills of West Virginia.