Summary

In Chapter 14, the children struggle to survive in the poverty of their grandmother’s shack, but they are comforted by her kindness. Meanwhile, a devastating flood causes the river to rise and the current takes their cousin Catalina, who dies. In Chapter 15, Mago excels at school and dreams of one day going to technical school and becoming a secretary. But Abuelita Chinta accidentally spills boiling water on little Betty and burns her face to the point that her skin looks as if it is melting, and Mago finds a part-time job at a food stand at the train station to pay for the medication.

In Chapter 16, Mami’s boyfriend dies in a car accident and she returns heartbroken. They are thrilled to have her back. When she hears that the government is giving away land, she commissions Carlos to squat on the plot...