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1. From what narrative perspective is the novel related? Why is this significant?

The narrative in this novel comes from the first-person perspective of a number of different characters. This is significant because it creates something of a patchwork of stories that connect to the themes of love, loss, immigration, prejudice, and poverty.

2. Who is Alma Rivera? What role does she play in the novel?

Alma is the wife of Arturo and the mother of Maribel. Several chapters in the novel come from Alma's perspective, and thus the reader has more insight into Alma's motivations, fears, and inner conflicts. She is a significant part of the novel's plot, as she concerns herself primarily with improving her daughter's life.

3. Where is the novel principally set? How is the setting described?

The novel largely takes place in and around the Redwood Apartments complex in a largely Latino neighborhood in Wilmington, Delaware. The apartments are over an old mechanics shop, and are described as dingy and moldy.

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