Once there was a girl who ran apart and joined a journeying carnival. She married a guy she grew to hate-and provided birth to a child she could never love. A kid so monstrous that she killed it with her own hands.… Twenty-five years afterwards, Ellen Harper includes a fresh life, a fresh spouse, and two regular children-Joey loves monster movies, and Amy is about to graduate from high school. But their mother drowns her magic formula guilt in alcoholic beverages and prayer. Enough time provides arrive for Amy and Joey to cover her sins.… Because Amy is pregnant. And the carnival is definitely coming back to town.