In the beginning of the book, Matilda introduces the characters in her POV and learns that Polly is dead from the fever. Afterwards she convinces Mother to let her go to the market. Then she goes to the market and gets the things she needs but then Nathaniel steals an apple from her basket. Later, at Matilda's house they get an invitation from the Ogilvie's to go to the Ogilvie's home and they decide to accept. However, Matilda and Mother get into a fight with the Ogilvies after getting insulted by them. Afterwards, Mother gets sick and Grandfather and Matilda leave for the farm. However, they aren't allowed to go to the farm because the guards didn't let them in. Afterwards, Grandfather is hurting from the heat so they go to a tree. Then Matilda tries to get food, but then gets sick, so Grandfather brings her to the Bush Hill hospital where French doctors are helping care for the sick. Then Matilda and Grandfather go back to the coffeehouse. They find out they have already been robbed and nobody is there. They decide to use some food that wasn't found and grow things in the garden to eat. In the night, Matilda decides to open the windows. The next day they get robbed, and Grandfather dies. Matilda buries Grandfather and goes to Mr. Brown's newspaper to find her mother, but Mr. Brown says he can't put the advertisement. Then Matilda finds Nell whose mother died. Then Matilda helps Nell and both of them find Eliza. After that, everybody goes to Mother Smith's house to meet Mother Smith, Joseph, Robert and William. Then Eliza, Matilda and Nell go to the orphanage to give Nell to them but the orphanage is full so they decide to just keep her. Then they all go to the coffeehouse because Robert, William and Nell are too warm in Mother Smith's house. Finally, the frost comes and they put all the furniture to remove the sickness. President George Washington came to Philadelphia which inspired many more people to come back. Matilda and Eliza make a partnership deal for the coffeehouse instead of selling it and Mother comes back.