The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Offill, Jenny. Last Things. First Vintage Contemporaries Edition, 2015.

Jenny Offill's novel Last Things is written from the main character Grace Davitt's first-person point of view. With the exception of the last chapters, the entirety of the novel is told in the past tense. The novel follows a predominantly linear structure and traces roughly two years preceding the death of Grace's mother, Anna.

Seven-year-old Grace Davitt lived in Vermont with her parents, Anna and Jonathan. She spent the majority of her time with her mother. As a curious child, Grace was constantly asking questions about the world around her. Whenever she wanted to understand something, she would go to her mother for answers. Anna, a whimsical and impulsive person, loved to tell stories. She answered all of Grace's questions with myths, fables, and fairy tales. Therefore, Grace learned to navigate the world through her mother's distinctly magical lens.

Grace was careful to keep notes of everything happening around her. She particularly liked to record words that she thought might be clues to the ongoing mystery of her life. She hoped to one day be a detective, and thought the notebook would be of use when solving future cases.

One day, Grace's teacher Mrs. Carr sent a note to Grace's parents about her bad behavior. Disgusted by the teacher, Anna convinced Jonathan to let her withdraw Grace from school. Instead of returning to school, Grace would be homeschooled by Anna. Anna had recently turned their spare room into a cosmic calendar, painting the walls with stars, planets, and galaxies. Each day of the year, they would learn about a new step in the creation of the universe.

When Grace and Anna were not working their way through the cosmic calendar, they spent their time playing games and going on adventures. Anna particularly liked to visit nearby Lake Champlain. She believed a mythical monster lived in the lake, and she always tried to capture it with her camera.

Then, one day, Grace's family learned that her uncle Pete had abandoned his family and left his job as Mr. Science on television. Jonathan had recently lost his job. Since he was Pete's identical twin, he insisted upon auditioning for the Mr. Science role. Anna forbade him to do so, because she did not want to leave Vermont for New York. In spite of Anna being upset, Jonathan sneaked off to New York, auditioned, and secured the job. He began living primarily in New York.

When Grace and Anna finished the cosmic calendar, they traveled to New Orleans by way of celebration. From there, they drove across the country to California. Over the course of their road trip, Anna's mental health became tenuous. Unsettled by her mother's increasingly erratic behavior, Grace called Jonathan for help. He flew them home immediately. Shortly after their return, however, Anna disappeared. Several days later, the police found her body. She had drowned herself in the lake.

In the year following Anna's death, Grace struggled to reconcile herself with her mother's absence. Her longing was eased by a stray dog that appeared on her doorstep. Grace named her Laika, convinced she was Anna's reincarnation.