At age 13, Jasira (Summer Bishil) lives with her mother, Gail (Maria Bello), in upstate New York, but is then sent to live with her rigid, emotionally distant Lebanese father, Rifat (Peter Macdissi), in Houston. Jasira, who is struggling with her emerging sexuality, finds herself subjected to the taunts of racist schoolmates, the sexual advances of her new boyfriend, Thomas (Eugene Jones), and the inappropriate yet titillating attentions of handsome, married neighbor Mr. Vuoso (Aaron Eckhart).