Based on true events set in a cozy corner of the Appalachian foothills, Standing in Her Own Light follows Sarah Sullivan as she unravels the mysteries surrounding her estranged friend, Vivian Rhinhardt. When a mutual friend expresses concern about Vivian's whereabouts on Thanksgiving, Sarah alerts the local police. After discovering that Vivian-prim, perfect Vivian-has died at least a month earlier surrounded by evidence of a wretched, lonely life, Sarah transforms from compliant housewife to detective extraordinaire. As she traces the story of the Rhinehardts through a house fallen into squalor, excerpts from hidden journals, and her own memories of the past, Sarah pieces together a series of shocking truths that Vivian and her family had kept secret for years.