Part 1, The Leatherback, Travel in the Family and Miami Summary

Ignacio Agüero narrates. He remembers his thirteenth birthday. For his birthday, he received a spectacular gift of a full-color encyclopedia called Birds of the World. A gift he cherished well into his adult years. Ignacio remembers spending the summer on wildlife expeditions to the Cuban coast. One of the highlights of his trips was finding a rare leatherback turtle's nest. To protect it from predators, Ignacio sat on the eggs for two days and nights.

Havana, Cuba. April, 1991. Reina realizes that all she has left in Cuba are memories. She can no longer stay in Cuba. Reina goes to the visa headquarters to petition the Cuban government to leave the country. They tell her that it will take three months before they will give her an answer. Reina tells them she will...