8 year old Agnes is a young girl living in New Province, an authoritarian country which seceded from what used to be the United States of America. In schools, students are to be taught good moral values through the introduction of events like the Month of Giving - a month in which Agnes and other young children will fast in order to honor migrant laborers at the southern border of New Province who are working hard to secure to country and build barriers. As Agnes observes the events around her, she comes to realize the truth about her and her family's circumstances.