Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret

Eleven-year-old Margaret Ann Simon prays to God as her family prepares to move from New York City to New Jersey. She hopes that New Jersey won’t be “too horrible” (1), and she remembers the day she came home from camp and discovered that her parents had bought a house in Farbook, New Jersey, without consulting her. Although Margaret’s parents claim that the move is motivated by her mother’s desire to have grass, trees, and a yard of her own, Margaret believes that her parents want to move out of the city to get away from Margaret’s paternal grandmother. Margaret’s mother believes that Grandma, or Sylvia Simon, has “too much of an influence on [Margaret]” (2), and she spoils her granddaughter by sending Margaret to summer camp, paying for Margaret’s private school tuition in New York City, and knitting special sweaters for Margaret. Margaret loves Grandma, but she notes that her grandmother often asks if Margaret has any boyfriends and wants to know if they’re Jewish. Margaret insists that she has no boyfriends and wouldn’t care if they were Jewish or not.