Summary

Violet and her daughter Keira are spending the weekend with Violet’s older sister Rose, the operator of a boarding house. They have come together to celebrate two birthdays – Rose’s seventieth and Keira’s thirty-fourth. But the celebratory mood is soon shattered by the announcement of Keira’s unplanned pregnancy and her decision to abort. Violet has always been a passionate pro-life advocate and her daughter’s decision to abort has devastated her. Rose, unbeknownst to her niece, was once herself a pregnant, single woman who wrestled with the abortion option and is therefore sympathetic to her niece’s plight. As the three women debate and argue over the abortion issue, some long-kept family secrets are revealed that could impact Keira’s decision. While the abortion storyline unfolds, the comedic sub-stories of Rose’s boarders add several humorous overlays. These sub-stories involve murder, suicide, the sale of illegal drugs, political protest bombings, and a hallucinate induced conversation with God.