A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius Study Guide

The book's primary story is Dave's learning to be both brother and parent to Toph. It starts out with Dave, Toph, and Beth dealing with their mother and father's stomach and lung cancer sickness. After their parents' death, Dave, Toph, and Beth's lives become complicated. The three children move from Illinois to California.

Beth lives on her own at first, and Toph becomes Dave's responsibility. Dave, a man only in his early 20s, has to raise a child as if he were his own. Dave's life can no longer involve things many 20-year-olds would like to do. For example, Dave can not stay out of the house all night at the bar and bring home a different girl every week, something which he talks about wanting to do in his book in detail.

With the help of an inheritance and Social Security, Dave and Toph rent apartments in neighborhoods where Toph can go to private schools and Dave can work on his magazine venture. Dave is occasionally self-conscious about the cleanliness of their various homes and worries that other people will mistakenly find him unfit to parent Toph, but counterbalances these images with recollections of including Toph in fun activities (frisbee, for example) and cooking, laundering, and driving for Toph.

Dave talks thoroughly about how much he loves and cares for Toph. Dave says he would kill or severely hurt anyone who hurts Toph. In addition, all the times Dave leaves Toph at home with a babysitter, Dave is constantly wondering whether or not Toph is okay.