Dorothy Graham writes unsent letters to people she admires, and to a few she despises. As well, in her retirement she has time to pursue her other hobby — interfering in the lives of others. With no children of her own, she 'helps' the offspring of her friend and her cousin. But this still isn't enough. Seeing the mess that the world is in, she and her cohorts Kate and Elsie decide to put together a fund-raising effort for a charity organization. It soon becomes clear to them that putting the universe to rights, in ways large or small, is not an easy task. The theme of love lost and found also runs through the novel, affecting the old as well as the young. Entangled in family problems — a stray daughter, an absconded husband, a home threatened with demolition — the three friends' adventures lead them to understand that while charity doesn't have to begin at home, it might be a good idea to look there first.