A Life Sentence is a story of abuse, family, love and friendship. It shows how the misunderstanding of a mental disability can cause conflict between husband and wife, how friendships can be made in the strangest of places and how a love for a child can be strong even when the child is not your own. Linda Conroy murders her husband; her son attacks his foster mother, both these crimes seemingly committed for no apparent or justifiable reason. Lucy Ramirez is the journalist Linda decides to confess to in order to save her son from a lifetime in institutional care. Lucy discovers just how much abuse a mother will endure in order to protect her children and what she will put herself through to ensure the cycle is broken. During this time, Lucy questions her own mother's reasons for staying with her father and discovers that the love for family is more powerful than she ever expected and how that, at times, that love can be destructive. A lifetime bond of friendship is made between Lucy and Linda as they create a defence for Linda's son, putting Lucy's own family life into jeopardy.