Our Orbit

Nine-year-old Miriam has never worn new clothes, was not permitted to cut her hair, and believes that sinners must repent with dramatic displays of remorse, or harm will come to their loved ones. Now thrust into foster care, Miriam must adapt to a secular lifestyle while struggling to keep her connection to the past. Foster parents Rick and Deanne Fletcher quickly come to love their "new little girl." Soon they encounter the rest of Miriam's family: Uncle Dan believes he was abducted by aliens in an unsolved UFO mystery. Sister Rachelle, just released from juvenile detention, harbors painful secrets. Brother Josh is outraged that the Fletchers disrespect Christian teachings. When his plan to remove Miriam from their home fails, Josh becomes enraged at the interference in his family's way of life. Our Orbit explores cultural conflicts between two families who've both lived in the same rural Ohio county for generations. Their stories revisit the social problems of the 1990s: religious fundamentalism, anti-government sentiment, and emerging technological innovations while dealing with the realities of foster care and adoption, and family differences that create family drama.