Born out of wedlock in a judgmental Catholic community in Paterson, New Jersey, Alice grew up surrounded by seediness, scorn and hypocrisy as the community lavished attention on her younger sister Karen while ignoring her, turning her into a spiteful prankster. But in 1961, when she was 12, Karen and several others were murdered, and she was framed for the crime. The killer was unmasked as the housekeeper, Mrs Tredoni - but Alice was severely affected by the ordeal.