The story commences in New York during the mid-2000s, introducing Eva and Jamie, both 16 years old, who meet in a hospital waiting room. Eva is there to visit her grandmother Adele, who attempted to end her life by leaping from her care home window, while Jamie is visiting his older brother, who is struggling with addiction. Jamie avoids introducing Eva to his own family and keeps her at arm’s length, wanting to shield her from his troubled world. Despite their disparate backgrounds – Jamie hailing from privilege and Eva from Brooklyn – the two teenagers quickly form a strong bond.
Eva surprises everyone, including herself, by gaining admission to an elite university, while Jamie, a gentle and ever-changing soul, reluctantly attends an expensive college in upstate New York at his parents’ insistence. He soon drops out. Eva, on the other hand, thrives in college and appreciates her grandmother’s financial support, which spares her from student debt. She becomes close to her feminist roommate, Lorrie, and becomes infatuated with Eli, a popular and politically ambitious student who uses her for casual intimacy.
While Jamie distances himself from his family and joins the burgeoning Occupy Wall Street movement, Eva pursues a career in journalism in Washington, D.C. Her entanglement with Eli continues, albeit in a more tenuous and less satisfying way. Eva’s work takes her from investigative reporting to the “Wellness” section of the newspaper, signifying a potential dead end in her journalism career. Meanwhile, Jamie finds refuge with Eva’s nurturing parents, who offer him a home.
Eva and Jamie’s lives take different paths, with Jamie joining a collective occupying an empty warehouse and Eva focusing on her career. A tragic fire at the warehouse results in Jamie facing manslaughter charges and severe burns. Eva, initially hesitant, eventually writes to him, while also forming a close friendship with Julia, the newspaper’s advice columnist.
Eva’s life takes another turn when she befriends Jess, a newly elected member of the House of Representatives who shares her passion for social change. Eva confides in Jess about Jamie’s story, leading to a road trip to visit the families of the victims of the warehouse fire. This journey transforms Eva’s perspective and prompts her to write a comprehensive investigative piece about the incident.
With newfound clarity, Eva decides to make a clean break. She relocates to Los Angeles, rooming with Lorrie, who is pursuing a career in filmmaking. Eva becomes a nanny for a wealthy family, takes up gardening, and starts answering advice letters like Julia, fulfilling her nurturing side. Jamie continues his quiet work to help others in his own way.
The novel explores the significance of friendships in Eva’s growth and identity, from Jamie’s idealism to Lorrie’s worldly wisdom and Julia’s acerbic wit, to Jess’s guidance. The story also touches on political events such as Occupy Wall Street and Obama’s election. Ultimately, Eva’s relationships shape her into a more mature individual, with the novel asking, “How should a person be?” as it delves into her personal growth. Jamie, despite his closeness to Eva, remains non-sexual, perhaps asexual or monastic in his quest for meaning. In essence, it’s a Millennial coming-of-age novel, intertwining personal and political events in the characters’ lives as they evolve and mature.