Based on her acclaimed autobiography, Novalyn Price Ellis, a feisty West Texas schoolteacher has a torrid and turbulent affair with Robert. E. Howard, the great pulp writer of the 1930s. However, their conflicting personalities along with Howard's emotional baggage, including his sickly mother and absent father, puts a strain on their relationship. The two struggle to carry on the romance as Howard becomes more immersed into his stories and less connected to the real world.