"The water swirled around her, and she reached her hand toward the distorted surface. The faces faded, and then reappeared. Hands seemed to be reaching for her, as if to pull her back, but they never quite reached her, or slipped quietly through her, as if she were made of water herself."

Madeline has made a lot of mistakes—in her marriage and her life—and has paid dearly for them. Her teenaged children have disowned her, her parents are disappointed and embarrassed, and her sister thinks that she needs spiritual help. Worst of all, her soon-to-be ex-husband is hell-bent on destroying her life and her relationships. When she finds herself on a plane to a mysterious tropical resort called Ashrama with a group of strangers, all with their own problems, she isn't sure she'll ever make it back home again. At first Ashrama seems like paradise, but soon the paradise starts to feel more like a prison. Her trinity of hosts appears to have an ulterior motive for their guests' visit, and Madeline must figure out what they intend for her.

Ashrama holds many secrets, and in the end, as in the beginning, this place is not what it seems. But neither is Madeline.