Mary Alice and Joey go to visit their Grandma Dowdel out in the country each summer for seven years in a row. Each chapter in the book is about there experiences during one of these visits. Over time Mary Alice and Joey realize that their Grandma is not ordinary; she can handle a gun, trespasses, lies, and cheats. There is another side of Grandma Dowdel that they also come to know, she feeds and cares for the hungry, and helps the town when it is in need.