Eleanor's family appears normal but harbors conspiracy beliefs, such as the government using toothpaste to track people. Her uncle's extreme views influence her family, leading them to adopt paranoid behaviors like homemade toothpaste and avoiding restaurants. Eleanor's sister Rachel, who is training to be a police officer, moves out due to the family's irrational rules. The family's paranoia escalates, affecting their diet and health, and Eleanor's brother gets involved in illegal activities. Eleanor tries to manage by countering their beliefs with other theories and plans to become a doctor to help her family. Despite the challenges, she remains concerned about her younger siblings' well-being.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The narrator, Eleanor, lives with her parents and two younger siblings.
2. Eleanor's older brother has quit college and is trying to figure out what to do with his life.
3. Eleanor's sister, Rachel, graduated from high school as valedictorian and is training to become a police officer.
4. The family's behavior becomes increasingly strange after a family reunion, where Eleanor's uncle shares a conspiracy theory about toothpaste.
5. Eleanor's parents start to believe in various conspiracy theories, including the idea that the government is tracking people through toothpaste.
6. The parents stop buying commercial toothpaste and make their own, which Eleanor finds gross.
7. The family starts to grow their own food and stops taking the children out to restaurants, citing government risk.
8. Eleanor's parents stop paying for their children's phones and only allow landline phones in the house.
9. The family gets rid of their computers, citing tracking concerns.
10. Eleanor's grades start to suffer due to the lack of computer access.
11. Rachel moves out of the house after a fight with their parents about their conspiracy theories.
12. Eleanor's parents start to hold secret meetings at night, which Eleanor discovers by staying up late.
13. The parents start to use a ham radio to listen to police and military communications.
14. Eleanor's parents become increasingly paranoid and start to set up traps around the house.
15. Rachel visits Eleanor at school and expresses concern about her well-being.
16. Eleanor discovers papers in Rachel's room indicating that the police are planning to arrest a group of conspiracy theorists, including their uncle.
17. Eleanor's brother's name is on the list of suspects, and he is planning to break into a military base.
18. The police arrest the group, including Eleanor's brother, and start visiting the family's home regularly.
19. The media shows up at the house, but is chased away by Eleanor's parents.
20. Eleanor is worried about her younger siblings, who are learning from their parents' conspiracy theories.
21. Eleanor's grandparents offer to take in all of the children if necessary.
22. Eleanor is trying to be there for her younger siblings and counter her parents' concerns using other conspiracy theories.