Summary

The novel begins with Raphael Fernandez as the narrator, as he introduces himself as a dumpsite boy, someone who sifts through trash in an unnamed Third World country and lives among the mountains of waste. He previously lived at a dumpsite called Smoky Mountain, but after it became overfilled, he and the rest of the garbage pickers were forced to go to Behala. Raphael had been a trash boy since he was three years old, looking through the hordes of garbage for salvageable material such as glass, plastic, paper, and rubber. One day, Raphael stumbled upon a leather wallet while working with his best friend, Gardo. In it were 1,100 pesos, an ID card belonging to a Jose Angelico, photos of a young girl, a map of the city, and a key with the numbers "101" on it. After spending the money on food...