I'm Glad My Mom Died

The chapter opens with Jennette rushing her family to get to church on time. Her family belongs to the Church of the Latter Day Saints, but they did not begin attending church until her mother was diagnosed with cancer. Jennette loves church because it is three hours away from her home that she hates. Their home is in Garden Grove, a neighborhood referred to by others as “Garbage Grove.” Jennette’s grandmother and grandfather also live with them, and even with all four adults working, it is not enough to pay rent.

After her mother became sick, she began hoarding. The garage is filled to the ceiling with junk, and often stinks of the dead animals that get caught in traps placed by her father. The bedrooms are so full of trash that everyone sleeps on makeshift mats. In this chaos, Jennette attempts to predict any mistake or disaster that will upset her mother and make them late to church. Despite Jennette’s efforts to clean everything up and get her family ready, her mother gets upset, setting Jennette’s predicted events into motion. She wonders what she could have done differently.