The family is so far removed from any sense of conventional society that they live almost completely "off the map." With Off the Map, Ackermann constructs a memory play in which Adult Bo Groden reflects back upon one summer of her childhood. During this summer, Young Bo, an eleven-year old girl, lives with her mother and father, Arlene and Charley. Other than Charley's friend, George, the family has little contact with the outside world. During this summer, Charley falls into a deep depression that challenges the Groden family.