Think of all the times you’ve argued with your mother and thought, “I could just kill her!” What if one day, she asked you to do exactly that? Marion Wolcott has invited her daughter Ally, and granddaughter Kat, to visit her Martha’s Vineyard home. Ally, a frazzled single mother, is thrilled with the opportunity for a break from the monotony of her life—and from dealing with her sullen, uncommunicative teenager. But Ally soon learns she’s not in for a relaxing seaside vacation when her mother delivers life-shattering news.

Marion has a terminal disease and is counting on Ally (“the Strong One”) to help her die with dignity when the time comes. Complications arise when Ally’s sisters—Beth, a charming thrice-married narcissist, and Joanne a dour mega-church devotee—arrive for a weekend visit. When Marion’s end-of-life bombshell accidentally explodes, the disclosure triggers a drunken evening and a series of revelations, accusations, and unexpected consequences.

Joanne is furious at Ally for even considering their mother’s request. Her mission is to bring Marion to the Lord before it’s too late—even if it means kidnapping her. Beth, indignant at not being asked to join “the kill team,” is busy doing a furtive inventory of her mother’s personal effects. Ally just wants everyone to get along and to leave her the hell alone. And Kat? Harboring a troubling secret of her own, she is doing her best to remain under the radar. But her grandmother has other plans.

Killing Mom is a moving and funny family drama that touches upon issues that confound us all: aging, our own mortality, and the eternal quest to be the favorite child.