In a small Midwestern town, divisions are sharp and passions high. Global capitalism has gutted the local economy; drugs, alcohol and racial resentment have filled the void. A diverse, multi-generational, yet anxious cast of characters hangs together by a few threads, one of which is the local newspaper and its beloved advice column, "Dear Molly." As Molly declines into dementia, her husband Augustus steps in to continue the column, which evolves into a bracing screed against vanity and hypocrisy as he exorcises his own demons, creating a cause cé lè bre. When an anonymous letter writer begins responding in ominous tones, it seems the town may be forced to confront mass violence.