James Patrick (JP) Oe(tm)Briene(tm)s once safe and secure world quickly unravels with the death of his beloved grandmother. Grandma Mary had always been the guiding hand of the Oe(tm)Brien family, lovingly raising his mentally challenged Pap and allowing Mam to remain free of adult responsibility. Soon after Grandma Marye(tm)s death, Mam wins a farmhouse in an essay contest and insists on sharing her good fortune with various neighborhood outcasts. As JP sees both Pap and himself being replaced in his mothere(tm)s life by others, his anger pushes his family and friends further away. Ite(tm)s not until he begins to understand that he must learn to accept differences, human frailties, and the randomness of life that he recaptures his happiness and begins to grow as a person.