Pigs in Heaven Summary

Alice Greer, feeling lonely, finds comfort in the thought of her distant cousin, Sugar, now residing in the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma. Her daughter, Taylor, and her adopted granddaughter, Turtle, are touring the Grand Canyon; a visit to the Hoover Dam results in them rescuing a man, Lucky Buster, from a near-fatal fall. Their heroism thrusts them into the media's attention and they are invited onto the Oprah show. Upon returning home, a Cherokee lawyer, Annawake Fourkiller, confronts Taylor about Turtle's informal adoption, insisting that it contradicts the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978.

Angered by Annawake's accusations, Taylor and Turtle flee and find temporary refuge in a hotel owned by Lucky Buster's mother. As Taylor learns that Annawake is still pursuing them, they escape to Las Vegas, where Turtle starts to remember her abusive past, causing her to withdraw from the world. After spending their remaining money, Alice, Taylor's mother, joins them to offer support and escape her own unhappy marriage. They leave Las Vegas with a Barbie-obsessed waitress, not knowing where to go, but aware they must keep running from Annawake.

Meanwhile, in Wyoming, Cash Stillwater struggles to move past his grief after losing his mother, wife, and daughter in the same year. Cash, unknowing of his connection to Turtle, decides to return home to the Cherokee Nation. Back in Tucson, Taylor's boyfriend Jax, begins an affair with his landlord, Gundi, and receives a letter from Annawake that helps him understand her motives. Alice, realizing they must confront the situation, travels to the Cherokee Nation to discuss Turtle's case. As events unfold, Cash and Alice discover their shared connection to Turtle. When Taylor finally comes back, a resolution is reached to share custody of Turtle between Cash and Taylor, allowing her to spend part of the year on the Nation. Cash proposes to Alice, giving Turtle a chance to spend time with both grandparents during her visits.