Chapter 12: The 7 & ? Inch Disaster Summary and Analysis

At thirteen years old, Dr. Finch's third daughter, Natalie, moved in with a 41 year old male tennis player that is a patient of Dr. Finch's. Three years later, she moves back home, after suffering mental and physical abuse. Even in light of the abuse, she misses her former lover, Terrance. One night, as Natalie sits with Augusten and both of them feel sorry for themselves and their respective loneliness, Augusten observes that the kitchen ceiling hangs too low. Sometime after midnight, the two begin knocking out the plaster ceiling with whatever tools they find laying around. Such projects around the house occur frequently.

The next morning, when the kitchen lies under a pile of rubble, Dr. Finch reacts calmly. Such levelheadedness disappoints Natalie, who hoped for a reaction for her father. To attempt to...