^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}Alma and Arturo Rivera leave their comfortable surroundings in Pátzcuaro, Mexico when their daughter Maribel suffers a severe head injury. Their journey into the United States leads them to Newark, Delaware where they have located a school, Evers, for the learning disabled. Maribel's head injury has left her severely brain damaged, and they plan to enroll her in Evers in hopes of helping her with her recovery. Arturo has obtained a work visa, and he is able to get a job at a mushroom factory. However, their life beyond his job remains uncertain; they do not have a stable home environment, Alma does not work, and Maribel has not been officially accepted to Evers.

The Rivera's encounter the plight of many poor immigrants. They do not know how to speak English, they are unfamiliar with the school systems, and they are new to American culture.

They find emotional support when they meet Rafael and Cecilia Toro. The Toro family have two sons, Enrique and Mayor, and they live in the same low-income apartment complex as the Rivera's. The Toro parents are immigrants from Panama who have become legal citizens but struggle to get by on one meager income. Celia Toro befriends Alma Rivera, and both women grow quite fond of each other. When Cecilia's son Mayor meets Maribel he is immediately attracted to her. Yet given her inability to speak fluidly due to her head injury, he learns to communicate with her through other means. But their relationship is threatened by Garrett Miller, a boy at Mayor's school, who constantly bullies Mayor. One day after school, Garrett follows them and he bullies Mayor and accosts Maribel. Days later, Garrett sexually assaults Maribel. Her mother Alma is witnesses the assault, and she immediately goes to the police. The police dismissed the incident in part because Alma does not know how to speak English well. Her lack of English speaking skills lead to miscommunication and a misunderstanding of the facts. The police officer characterizes the incident as two teenagers who are most likely infatuated with one another and a mother who is not savvy about these common liaisons among teenagers. Alma is traumatized by the assault, and she is deeply concerned Arturo will blame her for not taking care of their daughter. Soon after she meets with the police, she decides not to tell Arturo about the entire incident.

Arturo eventually loses his job and he is unable to find a new one. His new unemployment status causes him to lose his visa, and his non-visa status also affects his family's legal standing. They can no longer legally stay in the United States.

Meanwhile, Quisqueya Solis, a prying neighbor who has also been the victim of assault, tells Alma that Mayor and Maribel were alone together kissing in a car. Quisqueya suggests, by pure speculation, that Mayor may have been taking advantage of Maribel. This news triggers Alma's trauma when she witnessed Garritt assaulting her daughter. She confronts Celia and bans Mayor from seeing her daughter.

One day in March, after the first snowfall of the year, Mayor steals his father's new used car. He drives to Maribel's school and he helps her leave school grounds on false pretenses. They take a drive to the beach. When Maribel does not come home from school, Alma thinks Garrett may have kidnapped her and sexually assaulted her again. This concern leads her to tell her husband the truth about the Garrett Miller assault.

Arturo is infuriated when he hears the news and decides to go to Garrett's house. When he arrives at Garrett's house he encounters Garrett's who is also enraged, and who points a gun at Arturo and pulls the trigger. When Mayor and Maribel return home they learn that Arturo has been shot by Garrett's father. He dies at the hospital, and Alma decides to return home to Mexico shortly after. As a final gesture of friendship, Celia and her other neighbors donate money that Alma needs to transport Arturo's body back to Mexico.

Characters

==Main Characters==

Alma Rivera

The novel is told mainly through the perspective of Alma, the Rivera family matriarch. Nearly every third chapter is one in which Alma is narrating her plight. She is the wife of Arturo Rivera and the mother of Maribel. She holds herself responsible for her daughter's head injury and is plagued by guilt.

Arturo Rivera

Arturo is married to Alma Rivera. He has one child, which is his daughter Maribel. He is a loving father and husband, and he wants to help his daughter recover from her head injury. His move to the United States is primarily so that Maribel can attend the Evers School in Delaware. His previous life in Patzcuaro Mexico was stable and comfortable with a well paying job. Upon arriving to the United States he is able to obtain a work visa, and he finds a job working for a mushroom factory for less than minimum wage. This job involves long hours without any breaks. Despite his hardships, he has a good disposition and he takes great pride in his family.

Maribel Rivera

Maribel is the daughter of Alma and Arturo. She is the victim of an accident, although the reader does not know the details of this trauma until late in the novel. Her accident has left with her with brain damage, which includes an inability to speak fluidly and fluently in any language.

Mayor Toro

Mayor narrates a substantial portion of the story. Similar to Alma, the story is also told through his perspective. The reader is able to gain a sense of his famiy's economic disadvantage. He is a young teenage boy, the son of Panamanian immigrants Cecilia and Rafael, and he is love with Maribel Rivera. He finds a kinship with her in that they share a similar experience. Both characters are poor first generation immigrants trying to assimilate in American culture. They also share similar character traits, as they are quiet, sensitive and well-intentioned teenagers.

Cecila Toro

Cecilia is married to Rafael Toro, and she also has two sons Enrique and Mayor. She is acutely aware of her family's dire financial situation, and she offers to help by finding employment. But Rafael refuses to let her work because he thinks she needs to focus on child care and household duties. Although she finds his refusal to let her work frustrating, she dutifully obeys her husband. She also befriends Alma Rivera, and they become close confidants.

Rafael Toro

Rafael subscribes to traditional gender roles. He firmly believes a women's place is in the home and men should financially provide for their family. He also exhibits traditional Latin America traits of machismo, which is illustrated in his inability to express emotion, his harsh attitude towards Mayor's sensitivity, and the firm belief that men must work outside the home while women maintain it. He is particularly upset with Mayor's lack of interest in soccer, and he constantly compares Mayor to his older brother Enrique. The latter son is now attending a university on a soccer scholarship.

Garrett Miller

Quisqueya Solis

Benny Quinto

Gustavo Milhojas

Adolfo "Mito" Angelino

Nelia Zafon

Jose Mercado

Micho Alvarez

Minor Characters

Enrique Toro

Enrique is Mayor's older brother. He is currently attending a university on a soccer scholarship.

Ynez Mercado

Ynez is a Puerto Rican woman who befriends Alma.

Phyllis

Phyllis is a staff member at Evers. She assist Alma with various translations regarding Maribel's school work.

Mrs. Shields

Mrs. Shields is Alma's English teacher. She values the language, and this is illustrated when she gives Alma a dictionary.

William

William is Mayor's closest friend in high school.