When Ruth Matthewss husband is killed in a fall at an archaeological dig, her daughter Sally handles her fathers death in a very odd manner. As Sallys condition worsens, Ruth takes her to see Jake, an expert in childhood autism. Jake attempts to bring Sally out of her mental disarray through traditional therapy methods, but Ruth takes a different route. She risks her own sanity attempting to enter her daughters mind and make sense of the seemingly bizarre things that Sally does, including building a wondrous house of cards.