Shy and introverted Amber begins her first job out of high school cleaning kennels for Helping All Animals, moving quickly into their writing/researching staff using skills gained at her high school's newspaper. Tom, a one-eyed cat Amber rescued from a hoarder's house, becomes her best friend and confidant. Hikes into the surrounding New Mexico hills provide her with some solace.

Surrounded by people who speak out against cruelty, Amber gradually awakens to the insidious and pervasive effects her relationship with an older man is having in her own life. Revealing her story to others, even in the face of horror, disgust, and rejection, is her first step towards healing. With the help of Tom's non-judgmental ear and a friend from work, she fights to peel herself away from the abuse and its effects.

Gradually, Amber learns how to connect with the world, discovering along the way her own inner strength and wisdom.

Wendy Jensen grew up in three different countries, landing finally in New Hampshire to practice homeopathic veterinary medicine and play violin. She received her veterinary degree from Cornell in 1987. In 1990, she left to spend four years working for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and then the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, where she discovered homeopathy. She has written frequently for holistic animal health magazines, and lectures widely. She published The New World Veterinary Repertory (Narayana Verlag) with co-author Dr. Richard Pitcairn, and her own textbook The Practical Handbook of Veterinary Homeopathy: Healing Our Companion Animals from the Inside Out (Black Rose Writing). She has served as an advocate at the local crisis center since 2017.