The narrator, Sarah, recounts her story of how her life changed after her father left and her mother, Candice, suffered a head injury that left her with the brain of a six-year-old. Sarah, who was 14 at the time, took on the responsibility of caring for her mother, managing the household, and pursuing her education. Despite the challenges, Sarah's life took a dramatic turn when she received an anonymous donation of $13 billion, which she used to hire help for her mother and pursue her passion for writing. She became a successful author, inspired by Agatha Christie, and eventually discovered that her mother had a hidden talent for reading and appreciating literature. With her newfound wealth, Sarah volunteered to build libraries around the world for gifted and underprivileged children, believing that education and science are more important than money. She eventually learned that her mysterious benefactor was a wealthy man who had caused her mother's accident and was trying to make amends.
Here are the key facts from the text:
1. The narrator, Sarah, was reading Shakespeare's sonnets in the first grade.
2. Her teacher, Miss Janet, was surprised and impressed by Sarah's reading abilities.
3. Sarah's parents were always fighting, and one day, her father just disappeared.
4. Sarah's mother became depressed and unable to care for herself.
5. Sarah took on the responsibility of caring for her mother, including doing all the household chores.
6. At the age of 14, Sarah was preparing for her SATs and applying to colleges.
7. Sarah's mother was in a terrible car accident and suffered a severe head injury.
8. The doctors told Sarah that her mother had the brain of a six-year-old and may never recover.
9. Sarah discovered that she had 13 billion dollars in her bank account, which had been anonymously sent to her.
10. Sarah used the money to hire a chef, maid, and nanny to care for her mother.
11. She also started taking SAT classes again and began applying to colleges.
12. Sarah threw a grand birthday party for her mother, who had become like a child.
13. Sarah started writing and created her own blog, inspired by Agatha Christie's novels.
14. She became known as the modern version of Agatha Christie and people loved her stories.
15. Sarah's mother started reading Shakespeare's sonnets again, indicating that she may be recovering.
16. Sarah volunteered to build libraries around the world for gifted and underprivileged kids.
17. She discovered that the person who had sent her 13 billion dollars was a rich man who had caused her mother's accident and felt guilty.