Nine-year-old Swiv is writing a letter to her absent father. Her mother, or “Mom,” is pregnant—they call the child “Gord”—and uncomfortable. Now in her third trimester, she is prone to even greater emotional outbursts than usual. Swiv has been expelled from school, and her grandmother, Elvira, or “Grandma,” has come to stay with them. Swiv decides to write the letter to her father at the behest of the family therapist, whom they can no longer afford to see.

Grandma conducts unconventional lessons for Swiv, including “Editorial Meeting” and a math class that tracks mortality. She also sometimes speaks in her “secret language,” as Swiv calls it (5). The family is occasionally bothered by a man they call Jay Gatsby, who is trying to buy their house.

Grandma talks about all her friends and family who have died. According to Swiv, she gets phone calls nearly every day informing her of another death. She also despises the police and refuses to eat the healthy food that Mom leaves for her. Mom is often out of the house at rehearsals for a play, even though she will probably not perform due to her pregnancy.