'Eleemosynary' examines the very delicate relationship of three women: a grandmother, Dorothea, who has sought to exert her independence through strong willed eccentric behavior, Artie, her daughter, who has run from her overpowering mother, and Echo, Artie's daughter, who is incredibly smart and equally sensitive.
After Dorothea (who has raised Echo into her teens) suffers a stroke, Echo is forced to reestablish contact with her mother through extended phone conversations, during which real issues are skirted and the talk is mostly about the precocious Echo's unparalleled success in a national spelling bee.
In the end, Artie and Echo need to come to accept their mutual need and summon the courage to build a life together, despite the terror this holds after so many difficult years of estrangement.
Will they succeed?