Gia, a grieving writer, sets out to write a book about female desire in America. She introduces us to three subjects: Lina, a homemaker in suburban Indiana; Sloane, a glamorous entrepreneur in the Northeast; and Maggie, a waitress in North Dakota.

Lina kicks off her flight from a stagnant marriage and a body of pain. She s a women's group at Doctor Henry's, attempts to reconnect with the love of her life—her high school boyfriend, Aidan—and begins a friendship with Gia that will change both their lives forever.

A difficult visit from her mother, Dyan, propels Sloane further towards Will. Richard, unusually resistant to giving Sloane what she wants, attempts to appease her desire in a different ill-fated way.

Maggie summons the courage to tell her parents and the police about the relationship with her teacher, Aaron Knodel, that transpired back in high school, and has been affecting her life ever since.

Jumping back in time, Gia is in New York burning through her advance and missing deadlines as she struggles to write her book about sex in America. Embarking on an unexpected love story of her own with Jack, Gia processes the pain of her own losses, moves to Indiana and bonds with Lina. Their relationship solidifies the new focus of Gia’s book—female desire.

Lina, Sloane and Maggie each finally connect with their hearts' desire, ecstatically unaware of the fallout that awaits them.

In Indiana, Gia and Lina's bond is threatened by the sudden arrival of Jack and the telling of a long-held truth.

When Aaron Knodel is put on trial, Maggie is forced to accept a huge loss.