The following version of the book was used to create this study guide: Ramisetti, Kirthana. Dava Shastri's Last Day. Hatchett Book Group, New York, NY, 2021. Kindle AZW file.

Dava Shastri dated a man of Indian heritage when she was in college because she felt it was expected. He was abusive and controlling, and she was glad to break up with him when she studied abroad. She discovered she was pregnant, gave birth to a daughter she named Chaitanya, and gave the baby up for adoption. Dava knew that having that child would limit the opportunities for the rest of her life.

Dava met Arvid Persson when they were in the Peace Corps. They pledged their love to each other though it took time for Arvid to leave his native Sweden to live in America. They soon had three children: daughters named Sita and Kali, and a son they called Arvie. Arvid became a teacher, and Dava launched a music business that supported artists. Dava sold the company, earning millions in the process. She was not satisfied with what she has accomplished and soon launched another successful company. She made millions of dollars and become known as a philanthropist.

Dava spent hours of her life working to pursue her dreams of being an influential business woman and running her charitable concerns. Arvid agreed to take on the majority of responsibility for the home, leaving her free to do so. Dava sought a release from the stress of her life by renewing a relationship with a musician named Tom Buck. They limited their time together and focused almost solely on sex during those hours. One day, Tom revealed that he was struggling with a song, and Dava said her “teenage self” wanted to become the kind of woman who inspired songs. Later, Dava was annoyed that Tom named the song Dava, making their relationship fodder for gossip.

When Arvid was diagnosed with cancer, Dava cut her ties with Tom and focused entirely on her husband. They had a fourth child – a son Arvid named Rev as a reminder of some of their favorite music. After Arvid lost a slow, painful battle with cancer, Dava spent more time with her four children but continued to work. By the time the events of this novel pick up, the four children are grown with lives of their own, and Dava has four grandchildren with another on the way.

Dava has learned that she has terminal cancer and chose an end-of-life plan instead of a treatment plan. She gathers her family for the Christmas holiday and arranges for news of her death to be released two days ahead of her actual death, providing her the opportunity to see what others say about her. She is frustrated when she discovers that her affair with Tom (because of the song he titled "Dava") and the possibility that Chaitanya is Dava's biological daughter are the main topics of conversation. She is also frustrated that she feels the need to explain herself to her four grown children. Dava has always been in control of her life, which is why she set up this arrangement for the day of her assisted suicide. She comes to realize that she had not considered how this would impact her family.

Over the two days leading up to Dava's death, the four siblings begin to confront their own lives, including their shortcomings and fears. The oldest, Arvie, is having marriage problems with his husband Vince because of Arvie's drinking and anger issues. After Dava's death, he makes changes in his life and reaches a point he considers himself happy. Sita declines Dava's order to take control of the philanthropic foundation, choosing to spend time with her family instead. Kali becomes more active in the foundations and does some philanthropic work of her own. Rev decides not to marry the woman who is carrying his child though he pledges to be a father to their son. Dava's five grandchildren gather occasionally as adults because of the connection they forged that weekend before Dava's death.