Midlife at St. Margaret's

In New Jersey, Jen's husband, Moose, chooses the week before they move to announce he's leaving for Costa Rica with another woman. He gets pura vida for his midlife crisis; she gets to be a single mom of two teenagers in a frozen tundra. Ready or not, Jen starts her job as provost at the College of St. Margaret in rural St. Jutta, Michigan, Eliot starts senior year of high school, and Kelsey starts eighth grade. To complicate matters, COVID-19 won't disappear, though most people are done with it. Amid their uncertainty about fitting in, they meet their neighbor, Jamie. A vibrant trans woman and local fixture, she owns a bookstore and a backyard pool. The family loves her immediately, and the feeling seems mutual. Jen tries to find equilibrium. As a new administrator, she wants to be a good boss to the faculty but also needs to get along with her boss. As a single mom, she wants to keep the kitchen stocked, show up for cross country meets, and facilitate social lives, but she struggles to parent alone. (Jen is pleasantly surprised when Eliot gets a girlfriend but worries he is ill-prepared for sexual activity.) As a daughter, Jen tries to care for her parents from a distance but notices her dad deteriorating and her mom unraveling. Amid these trials, Jen's body is falling apart, and her inner monologue becomes oppressive. She breaks a tooth, sweats uncontrollably, needs frequent bathroom trips, and can't sleep. Recent weight gain necessitates dreadful shapewear, and Jen gives herself a black eye trying to extricate herself from them after a party. Jamie becomes a source of unexpected support, lifting Jen's spirits with mocktails, good books, and funny texts. How will Jen survive all these major life changes at once?