Beauty Cookson is plain and timid and all the snooty girls at school think her name is ridiculous and tease her horribly. Worse than the taunting in the playground is her father's constant, hurtful criticism. Beauty and her mum live in fear of Dad's fierce rages. After Beauty's disastrous birthday party, Dad's temper seems to be out of control. Are Mum and Beauty brave enough to leave and start a new life?