In the 1950s, the Sequoia Bay Hotel was home to a prestigious finishing school where women learned to be good wives. Present day, the lavish building has been converted into affordable apartments. Lane finds themself on their own, recently ending an abusive relationship with their long-term partner. Trading a house for a one-bedroom apartment serves as a drastic change for Lane, but they are hopeful to begin a new chapter in their life. In 1957, two young women, Carolyn and Nancy, are sent to attend Bradley Diamond's Finishing School for Rising Young Women. There they meet each other and discover a bond that society's strict values cannot break.