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When her doctor half-jokingly suggests she find a good lawyer, Juniper Jade laughs it off. He is kidding. Juniper is not. She has decided to sue her parents. Her mother and father are hippies who missed the first Woodstock but attended the second, and they run their household on a strict, all-organic homeschool routine that bans plastic, cell phones and vaccines. Juniper has lived this way all her life. She disagrees with some of the rules, but she has always known that belonging to this family means following them.

That changes when Juniper catches measles and passes it on without realizing it, and the consequences are severe. She is left reeling, knowing the harm is partly her doing while feeling powerless and furious at her parents and at herself.

Help comes from Nico, who works at the library and shares her love of movies and who may be becoming more than a friend. Juniper resolves to get vaccinated. Her parents refuse, so she hires a lawyer and gets ready to fight them.

Reichardt's novel asks whether Juniper's independence is worth the cost to her family, and how much she is willing to risk for a chance at a normal life. It explores justice, personal agency, family loyalty, and the decision to take a chance even when success looks impossible.