The majority of the book centres on Samantha's personal journey, including her struggles as a single parent while obtaining a master's degree, her early years spent in both Chicago and California, her battle with a multiple sclerosis diagnosis, and her experiences adjusting to her parents' divorce. It is clear from the story that Samantha is very fond of her father, Thomas, who comes across as a reserved man who is determined to succeed in his work as a lighting director. Her feelings towards her mother Rosen, on the other hand, are noticeably colder. This is because she believes that divorce proceeds were wasted on drink and extramarital affairs, which occasionally included physical altercations with accessible kitchen utensils.
Samantha makes a powerful family drama when she chooses to live with her father, who finally lands a job in Hollywood. Sam had first anticipated Doria, Megan's mother, to be a nice stepmother to the family when she was introduced to them. Samantha was disappointed that Doria appeared to keep Samantha and her brother Tom out of the close-knit group that included Megan, Thomas Sr., and Doria. Doria's way of life, which included regular get-togethers with friends and an overpowering odour from illicit drugs, also gave Sam pause. Samantha had doubts after seeing an obvious picture of Doria sitting on train tracks hanging on the wall of the home.
Samantha saw odd behavioural changes in her half-sister Megan as she dug deeper into her life. Megan's behaviour seemed to be impacted by her visits to Doria's house; she started to put long stretches of time between her and Thomas. A long-lasting incident involved Megan ignoring her father for weeks after he refused to resign from his position as lighting director for a school performance of "Damn Yankees" after she returned from an internship in Argentina.
Notably, their Uncle Mike had advised this internship, which was distinguished by Megan's extra security detail and her function as a media contact. One fascinating tale in the book is a phone call from Megan, during which she remarked that there was a toothbrush in Trevor's medicine cabinet, which may indicate that their relationship was getting serious. Samantha then conjectured that Megan's final divorce from Trevor might have been related to her purported relationship with a fellow actress from the television series "Suits." There were also rumours circulating that Trevor and Megan's best buddy had become close.
Samantha became enraged by the media hysteria surrounding Megan's potential relationship with Prince Harry and his declaration that she would have the family she never had. She expressed her dissatisfaction on Twitter and received a lot of reaction. In retrospect, Samantha's remarks have shown to be prescient as the real story of Megan's family dynamics has come to light, including Tom Jr.'s worries about Megan's interactions with kids and pets. It's obvious that these familial relationships might have involved more than first appeared.
