This powerful adult drama deals with the issues of sexual abuse and Dissociative Identity Disorder (formerly called Multiple Personality Disorder). Jane Ellen Whitman is a 19-year-old woman living with her parents, Frank and Darla, in a small rural Ohio town in the 1930s. Her strange behavior fluctuates between intellectual and passive to flippant and vindictive.

Those areound her, including her former teacher, Maureen McCall, have long noted her erratic behavior. Frank and Darla attribute their daughter's peculiarities to insanity and even demonic possession. Maureen is baffled by Jane Ellen's behavior, but is certain that she is not insane.

When Maureen's cousin comes to visit, she entertains Maureen, Jane Ellen, and Darla with fascinating tales about her life with a traveling carnival. Her most intriguing story is of a tattoed lady named Emily Farris (The Illustrated Woman) who attempted to murder the man who raped her daughter. Jane Ellen, the victim of her father's sexual abuse since she was 5-years-old, becomes obsessed with the character of this <i>goddess</i> who fears nothing and no one.

A short time later, a drunken Frank attempts to marry Jane Ellen and force her to have sex with him as she is now his <i>wife</i>. As none of Jane Ellen's three personalities can deal with this absurd perversion, a new personality emerges - The Illustrated Woman who hungs Frank down to bring an end to the terror that has ruled Jane Ellen's life.