The author, who traveled in and out of Tijuana with Baptist missionaries for 5 years between 1978 and 1982, intended this book not to be a representation of life in Mexico but to bring voice to people and happenings of the Tijuana-American border. The chapters of the book tell the tales of the people in this area, many of whom dream of successfully crossing into the United States undetected. While this Mexican border is in California, most Californians and most Americans for that matter, have no idea of the atrocities and the violence that occur just across the border. Most of the inhabitants of the border town are extremely poor and routinely victimized by thefts and violence. One of the stories shared in the book tells the tale of Negra, a tiny girl who needed shoes to attend school. The author bought her shoes and she began attending school, only to be later beaten and robbed of her shoes by a local gang. After missing school for 2 weeks because she had no shoes, Negra was expelled. Another story tells of the death of the author’s father at the border, detailing how the Mexican officials responding to the scene took the time to rob the dying man before transporting him to a hospital, where he failed to receive care. Many other stories are offered that put a human face on the poverty, violence, and suffering that inhabit the border towns of Mexico. Despite the heartbreak that is palpable in this area, hope manages to glimmer faintly in the eyes of many of these people.