The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Beagin, Jen. Big Swiss. Simon & Schuster, Inc., 2023.

Jen Beagin's novel Big Swiss is written from the third person point of view and in the past tense. The novel assumes a largely linear narrative plot line, but does toy with conventional notions of the novelistic form throughout. The following summary abides by a more streamlined mode of explanation for the sake of clarity.

Roughly a year prior to the narrative present, main character Greta Work ended her 10-year relationship with her fiancé Stacy. Although Stacy was good to her, Greta had come to realize that being with Stacy disempowered her. She broke up with him and moved away from their home in California, hoping to reclaim her independence as a middle-aged woman.

Greta relocated to Hudson, New York. She reconnected with her old friend Sabine. Sabine invited Greta to move into her old farmhouse with her. Greta took up residence on the ground floor, while Sabine lived upstairs. Although the house was ancient and crumbling, Greta embraced her new and rugged lifestyle. She hoped that living and working in Hudson might grant her a new understanding of herself as a single 45-year-old woman.

Greta began working as a transcriptionist for a local sex therapist named Om. Om hired Greta to transcribe the audio recordings of his client sessions because he was working on a book. Greta loved the job not only because she could work from home, but because it let her listen to other people's stories and secrets.

The first time Greta heard Om's new client's voice, she was intrigued. Because the woman was from Switzerland, Greta started referring to her as Big Swiss. She was particularly taken by the way that Big Swiss talked about trauma in her sessions with Om. Although Big Swiss had been nearly beaten to death eight years prior, she refused to make her assault a part of her identity.

Greta was shocked and delighted to run into Big Swiss by chance at the dog park one day. Although she knew it was a bad idea, she agreed to go out for drinks with Big Swiss. Throughout the evening, Greta made allusions to information from Big Swiss's sessions, making Big Swiss believe she was an intuitive person.

Greta and Big Swiss began to see each other in secret. Big Swiss was happily married to a man named Luke. However, she was inexplicably attracted to Greta and felt incapable of ending the affair. Meanwhile, Greta knew the relationship was jeopardizing her job, but also could not let Big Swiss go.

When Big Swiss's attacker, Keith, was released from prison, both Greta and Big Swiss became increasingly paranoid. Although Big Swiss did not think that Keith would attack her again, she did think he was stalking her. Greta, however, was certain that Keith posed a real threat.

Shortly after having dinner with Big Swiss and Luke, Greta became insecure about her relationship with Big Swiss. Her insecurities led her to increasingly erratic behaviors. Not long later, Big Swiss discovered that she was lying to her and ended the affair. Then Om discovered the truth of Greta's deception and fired her. Eager to help Greta, however, Om offered her a series of free sessions.

Although skeptical of Om's therapeutic methods, Greta agreed to Om's proposal. Over the course of their sessions, Greta became increasingly forthcoming and open. The stories she told about her past and her present helped Om assess her emotional needs. In time, Greta realized that Om was right. She needed to accept her loss, to grieve it, and to let herself grow beyond it.