Cuba, 1961: Two years after the communist revolution, Lucia still leads a carefree life, dreaming of parties and her first crush. But when the soldiers come to her small town, everything begins to change. Suddenly, the revolution hits home. Freedoms are stripped away. Neighbors disappear. Her friends feel like strangers. And her family is being watched.

As the revolution's impact becomes more oppressive, Lucia's parents make the heart-wrenching decision to send her and her little brother to the United States…alone!

Suddenly plunked down in Nebraska with well-meaning strangers, Lucia struggles to adapt to a new country, a new language; a new way of life. Will she ever see her home or her parents again? And if she does, will she be the same girl?

Christina Diaz Gonzalez based this novel on the experiences of her parents, and of the over 14,000 other unaccompanied minors who came to the United States to escape Castro's regime in a program known as Operation Pedro Pan.