Neither wealth nor the veneer of respectability could obliterate Claudia Marie Fitzpatrick's knowledge of her unwanted birth and the subsequent childhood of neglect and sexual abuse. Would she ever find the sustaining comfort of love and acceptance that could eradicate the deep feelings of powerlessness and failure? Claudia is most desirous for more than the luxurious lifestyle of her parent's world and their rigid and bigoted values. After college, she breaks free of their control and makes a new life with the handsome Gerald Parker-only to discover that their fifteen year marriage has been filled with lies and deception. As this becomes apparent to Claudia, she experiences bizarre, medical symptoms, and is grossly misdiagnosed with mental illness, which leads to a series of tragic events until years later when she finds her doctor of last resort. Charming, but volatile, Josh Henderson steps into her life, and Claudia looks to him with trust and love, believing him to be her hero. But within a short time, Claudia finds herself embroiled in domestic abuse until a chance meeting with an unexpected friend helps her recognize the innate strength, courage, and resilience she has displayed throughout her life and the largeness of her ability to love.