Abby Amaro wants to sing at La Scala Opera House, but she's a good girl, and in 1957 good girls get married. Still, when she receives her first marriage proposal, she freezes, knowing the way her suitor makes her feel bodes trouble. When he won't take no for an answer, she flees, joining up with a traveling carnival. Thanks to a burlesque trapeze artist and the world's saddest clown, Abby bides her time and fits in until she can rejoin the world she knows. She doesn't expect a sideshow strongwoman named Suprema, who captures her imagination. As the carnival makes its way across the Midwest, Abby learns much more than she had ever imagined-about herself, about her identity, and, most importantly, about love.