In Montgomery, Alabama, in 1973, Civil Townsend begins her nursing career hoping to help women make their own choices. Her work at a family planning clinic brings her into the lives of two young sisters whose treatment forces her to question the institution she serves.

Decades later, Civil looks back on the events that changed her life. Inspired by a historical case, Dolen Perkins-Valdez explores responsibility, racial injustice and the courage needed to challenge abuse of power.