Violet Epps, a movie critic as influential as she is insecure, discovers that being a fan isn't the same as being a roommate when Dorothy Parker's spirit materializes from an ancient guestbook — and then follows her home. Parker, it turns out, wants help moving on to the afterlife; in exchange, she offers advice on how Violet can find the courage to speak out. The two women — flesh and spirit — come to depend on each other, as Violet uses Parker's words to become more confident, and the literary spirit learns to deal with her own (literal) ghosts.