A fundamentalist preacher with a misogynous bent gains control of the Kansas legislature and begins enacting laws to subjugate women. Law student Stacey Davenport starts a political resistance and begins an affair with an idealistic, married legislator who is holding out alone against the worst of these measures.

But as her lover's passion for her slowly morphs into an uncontrolled jealousy, his deep-seated urge to control her overpowers all constraints of politics and religion. Only then does she realize the dysfunctional family she had scorned and avoided for many years is her only hope.