The year is 2000 and celebrated children's author Agnes Lee is in her Philadelphia apartment. Lee has written some of the country's most important and widely read children's book. And under a pseudonym, Lee has also written some of the country's most popular books for adults—but no one in her life knows it. It is winter and Lee is still processing her recent cancer diagnosis. She knows one thing: that she has to secure the future of the fellowship point for her family and her friend, Polly Wister (who leads a seemingly positive life, but internally is in turmoil), before she dies.
The fellowship point is an idyllic summer retreat that Agnes owns with her cousin, Archie Lee, and Polly. All three are in their eighties and had recently discussed what they wanted to do with their land. Agnes and Polly want to donate the land to a trust; Archie wants to sell the land to a land developer so that they can build a luxurious resort. Polly's son, who will inherit Polly's share upon her death, agrees with Archie and would sell the land if his mother were to die. These disagreements cause tremendous turmoil for everyone. But the group ultimately needs to make a decision, especially because Agnes has no heirs and because of their advanced age.
One fact remains: Agnes has not told her friends about her cancer diagnosis. And before she tells her friends about her diagnosis, she reminisces about her life, her love, her career, and her friends. She talks about her love and relationship with her former neighbor at fellowship point named Virgil Ree. Polly, meanwhile, struggles to think about and grieve the death of her beloved daughter, who she misses and yearns for on a deep level. Polly also wishes she had a deeper and more substantial connection with her husband Dick, who she had been married to for over sixty years.
While attempting to save fellowship point from developers, Polly and Agnes meet a number of people, including Robert Circumstance, fellowship point's caretaker, Nan, and Maud Silver, whose story is incredibly similar to Agnes'. And ultimately, Agnes and Polly are successful in shielding their beloved fellowship point from developers, accomplishing what they set out to do in their life.
