Summary

The novel takes place in the present day. Chapter 1 opens in a small town in Nevada called Tonopah. Horace Hopper is in his mid-twenties. His ethnic heritage is half-Irish and half-Native American (specifically the Paiute tribe.) Horace dreams of being a professional boxer, and he will soon be relocating to Tuscon, Arizona to begin his boxing career there. He plans on adopting the name Hector Hidalgo and pretending to be Mexican, as he is often mistaken as Mexican, and he believes that most of the best boxers are Mexican. Horace has lived and worked on a sheep ranch for the past few years. His parents are divorced, and they have not been in touch with Horace for years. The ranch is owned by Eldon Reese, who is like a father to Horace. Pedro also employs a man named Pedro, who lives and works in...