Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.: Chapter 16 Summary & Analysis

Mom takes Margaret to Lincoln Center twice with Grandma’s subscription. Going with Mom isn’t as much fun, since Margaret doesn’t get to ride the bus alone—and Mom insists that the music is more important than watching people. So Margaret writes Grandma a letter telling her that everything is fine; she’s only gotten sick a couple times. She thinks she got sick once because it was slushy at the Lincoln Center and Mom wouldn’t let Margaret take her boots off during the concert like Grandma does. She does note that snow is more fun in New Jersey than New York—it’s cleaner.

Grandma responds that she hopes Mom took Margaret to a good doctor—if she were at home, she would’ve tried to get recommendations for doctors in New Jersey. She agrees that Margaret got sick because Mom didn’t let her take her boots off. She also shares that she met a man named Mr. Binamin. They eat dinner together and see shows. He’s a widower with five married children. Mr. Binamin and his children think he should marry again—but Grandma is staying quiet on that front. Grandma also invites Margaret to come visit Florida during her spring vacation.

Margaret writes back that Mom and Dad will let her visit, but they’re waiting to make concrete plans. Margaret is excited, since Florida sounds fun and she wants to meet Mr. Binamin. She says she’s fine; the snow is melting and Mom is painting a new picture of apricots. She adds that Gretchen and Nancy got their periods.