Miami, 2002 – 2018

The majority of the novel occurs in Miami, Florida, United States. Carmen leaves her hometown of Camagüey, Cuba and finds a new home in Miami, where she raises Jeanette. Carmen clearly feels the pressure to fit in with her elite American neighbors, concerned about dressing appropriately and embracing American traditions, leaving her Cuban roots behind. Jeanette, on the other hand, feels lost in Miami and goes to her mother’s hometown in order to learn more about her heritage and find a piece of her missing identity. Jeanette’s Miami is very different from Carmen’s – she explores the sleazy, sex-crazed and drug-filled nightlife of the city, a far cry from Carmen’s respectable existence. Miami can also be cruel – Gloria is arrested by ICE, leaving her young daughter, Ana, behind. Gloria will never return to the city, but Ana risks her life in order to make...