Summary

The story begins with Lourdes, 24, leaving Honduras without her children -- 5-year-old son Enrique and 7-year-old Belky. Enrique doesn't understand why his mother is leaving. He clings to her leg and she can't bring herself to tell him goodbye.

Lourdes has tried making a living in Honduras doing laundry and selling gum, crackers and cigarettes on the street. It isn't enough money to feed her children, much less allow them to continue their education, which requires uniforms, supplies and tuition. Lourdes knows she cannot find a well-paying job in Honduras, so she has decided to illegally emigrate to the United States where she can make enough money to send back to her children in Honduras, along with clothes and toys. Emigrating will allow Lourdes to pay for her children's schooling and offer them a better future. Lourdes has only ever seen the United States...