When she was a child, Joni Arable was told that God didn't want her wearing yellow sandals, or writing scary stories, or questioning authority figures. She was also told her parents shunned her Aunt Dottie for being a "liberal atheist." Joni never bought that vague excuse, but the message was clear: question the faith, you'll be disowned. Now, twenty-four and desperate to live her life fearlessly and without permission from anyone else, Joni is going to do something drastic. Against her mother's warnings, she's going to take a trip out west with her estranged Aunt Dottie. She's decided she's going to write scary stories again. She's going to wear whatever she feels like. And she's going to find out the real reason why her parents disowned her aunt.