This book reveals the secret life of a seemingly placid Midwestern town in the early years of the 20th century. A series of intertwined vignettes, the book looks at the unexpressed desires and dreams of the townspeople as they bare their souls to a young reporter, George Willard. The characters, whom the author refers to as "grotesques," suffer under the repression of a society they feel cannot understand them. Each longs to make a connection to something or someone outside themselves, but can only, at best, make stunted attempts to reach out. Each chapter portrays a defining moment for one of the townspeople, whether it is to be loved, to be accepted or to find God. The young reporter is the blank slate upon which each character projects his or her inchoate hopes and dreams. The result is a picture of a small-town America where white picket fences both bind and separate its lovely inhabitants.