Reyna Grande writes this book about a difficult season of her own life. She describes learning that her mother is leaving the kids behind to help her father with the migrant work in America. They are extremely poor and cannot afford to do it any other way. She and her siblings stay with her Abuela Evila who prefers another grandchild named Elida to all the others. Her life there is difficult and she endures hungry, neglect, and abuse in that home.
Throughout their time with their Abuela, Grande writes that they battled infestations from parasites, fungal infections, and even scorpions. During this time the privileged granddaughter Elida would harass them and she and her friends would chant "Orphans!" at the children. She says that they felt hopeless and abandoned. Mami returns after two years. She arrives with a new daughter but Mami explains that she actually couldn't be with their father, as he had a new wife in America when she arrived. She tells them she is leaving to Acapulco.
Alone again, Reyna feels up against the world. Her cousin dies and she has no one to help her mourn her. Her new sister, Betty, is severely burned in an accident with boiling water. Mami finally comes home after another horrible season to report that her boyfriend in Acapulco has died. She is not well. One day, Papi calls and he and the children agree that they will illegal immigrate, but they fail the first two attempts. On the third attempt, the finally make it to California and the children all prepare for their new life in Los Angeles. However, very soon they realize that their Papi is overtly abusive.
Reyna grows to feel that she is not liked by her father. She feels that there is an emotional competition for her father's approval, and her sister Mago has won it. Papi leaves to Mexico to stop his sister from stealing his property in Iguala, but the children do not know whether he will be able to cross back over. When he returns, he is more abusive than ever. Mago and Reyna make peace and throw Reyna a quinceañera party without their father's permission. Reyna tells about her decision to go to college. She is the first person in her family to obtain a degree, and she felt that in college she finally grew into her full identity.
