Told through a series of reminiscences by the titular character's family, friends, and teachers, Pie Man explores the story of a boy, Adam Olszewski, who on his seventh birthday tries to leave his family house but can't. Soon after, the boy comes to believe that the house is alive and is an inseparable part of him. Later, Adam confines himself to his room, unable and unwilling to be seen by even his own parents, leaving the family with no choice but to help their son live his fullest life from the other side of his bedroom door. When Adam's mother opens a successful pie-making business out of the house (using a self-portrait drawn by the boy as its logo), Adam's world begins to expand and he takes on a keen, almost scientific interest in the lives of his neighbors. At turns touching, funny, and heartbreaking, Pie Man is a vivid exploration of what it means to be normal, told through the story of a family forced to create a new type of world for itself, one of love, enterprise, and learning.