The Only Girl in the World describes the author's harrowing upbringing by fanatic parents, who raised her in isolation through traumatic disciplinary exercises designed to "eliminate weakness" and recounts how she eventually escaped with the help of an outsider.

Didi's father is constantly pressuring her to do better: win at chess, run faster every day, shoot better, hunt better or go hungry; she is not allowed friends, or time off or any pleasures; he always reminds her that they have to be prepared to fight the rest of the world--but what he never tells her is that when she is the best he plans to hunt her.