Being "wetbacks"-literally crossing from Mexico through the Rio Grande-brings a world of social and political trauma to Miguel Rivera as he and his family try to build a new life in Texas. The family grows as it fights to stay together; his father vanishes; a gang of bullies terrorizes Miguel-and out of these experiences comes a new inner strength born from what he learns about the culture and dignity of his ancestors. Barbara Beasley Murphy, a multiple-award-winning author of youth and children's literature, uses this fascinating story to delve into vital issues seldom explored in a novel aimed at young audiences-the lives and social interactions of illegal residents, and the slave labor into which adults are still forced today.