Carla Travis lives in a small Appalachian town. She lives with her husband Pete and their two daughters. She gets by in life the best way that she can, but she wants more for herself and her children. She feels trapped in her marriage to her jealous, controlling husband, but she has nowhere else to go. Mary Burke is frustrated with her job as a social worker. Every day, she deals with families who can't break their cycle of poverty, or worse yet, don't seem to want to. She befriends Carla and sees potential in her. Mary encourages Carla to go back to school, but Pete, feeling threatened, is unsupportive. Will Carla find the courage to do what is best for her family or will she be another statistic?