Characters
Delaney - This character writes a monthly column for a magazine, and uses the
remainder of the time to go on hikes and to cook gourmet meals.
Candidó - This character is an honest, hardworking immigrant to Los Angeles
and is badly injured after a collision with an Acura.
Kenny Grissom - This character works at a car dealership and believes
Mexicans are responsible for most auto thefts.
Kyra Menaker-Mossbacher - This character is an agnostic, an
environmentalist, and a Democrat. This character is a hardworking Realtor and
is the family's breadwinner.
América - This character is seventeen years old, is pregnant, and has long
black hair.
Jordan - This character is six years old, and is dedicated to Nintendo,
superheroes, and baseball cards.
Jack Jardine - This character has served as president on the Arroyo Blanco
Estates Homeowners' Association for the past two years and drives a classic
1953 MG TD.
Jack Jr. - This character is eighteen years old, has red hair and several
earrings. This character also makes racist jokes and damages the campsite.
Jack Cherrystone - This character does voice-over work for movie trailers and
is an amateur photographer with an in-home dark room.
Resurrección - This character leaves her first husband after seven years
because she is unable to become pregnant.
Sally Lieberman - This character is a Realtor at a company called Sunrise and
is between forty and fifty years old.
Candelario Pyrez - This character runs the labor exchange and drives a white
pickup truck.
Mary - This Hispanic character works at the labor exchange, drinks excessively,
and speaks English.
Louisa and Bill Greutert - These characters are potential buyers for the Da
Ros mansion as a place to escape the influx of immigrants in the Los Angeles
area.
The light-skinned Mexican - This character wears a San Diego Padres hat
backwards and chews gum.
Dominick Flood - This character is under house arrest for crimes committed
while running a chain of banks.
Al Lopez - This character runs a handyman service and extends the height of a
backyard fence.
Todd Sweet - This character is athletic-looking and opposes the idea of fencing
in Arroyo Blanco Estates.
Kit Menaker - This character is fifty-five years old, attractive, and becomes
charmed by another character on Thanksgiving.
Orbalina - This character is a Hispanic housekeeper.
This complete Character Descriptions contains 426 words. This Lesson Plan contains 35,757
words (approx. 119 pages at 300 words per page).
Objects
Delaney's car - This object is damaged when it hits a pedestrian.
Bag of tortillas - Candidó carries this object when he is struck.
Opossum - This is eaten by Candidó's family when Candidó is a child.
Candidó's mother's corpse - This is sealed in glass and scares a young
Candidó by telling him to go to the devil.
Delaney's Column - This appears in a nature magazine called "Wide Open
Spaces."
Arroyo Blanco Community Center - This is a white stucco building with an
orange tile roof and features a kitchen, a wet bar, a stage, a P.A. system, and
seating for two hundred people.
Sacheverell - This is killed by a wild coyote.
The gate - This structure is the subject of contention between the residents of
the Arroyo Blanco Estates subdivision.
BEANERS DIE - This is written on the rocks of a campsite after the attack on
América, and Candidó's campfire equipment is thrown away.
Labor exchange - This is where Hispanic men seek daily work.
Da Ros Mansion - This is the subject of contention between the residents of
the Arroyo Blanco Estates subdivision.
Buddhas - América gets work scrubbing these objects for an import company.
Jeep - An Afghan dog is found crying inside this object.
The wall - This object is constructed after the gate fails to keep the residents
of Arroyo Blanco Estates safe from intruders.
Dame Edith - This animal is living along the wall surrounding Arroyo Blanco
Estates. It is later killed for stew.
Socorro - This person is born in a gardener's shed and is blind.
Tortilla Curtain fun questions
Short Answer Questions - Part 1, Chapters 1-2 (pages 3-29)
1. What is Delaney Mossbacher's occupation?
2. Where do Delaney and his wife live?
3. What is Kyra's profession?
4. Who does Delaney hit with his car?
5. What does Delaney give to the person he hits?
6. What kind of car does Delaney drive?
7. What parts of the car are damaged?
8. What injuries does the person Delaney hit with his car suffer?
9. What is inside the bag the accident victim carries?
10. In what languages does Delaney speak to the accident victim?
11. Where does Delaney go after he hits the person with his car?
12. Who fixes Delaney's car?
13. Who nurses the accident victim's injuries?
14. Whose death does the accident victim hallucinate about?
15. How old is América?
16. Where does América go to seek work?
17. Who or what does Candidó protect from being attacked by men in
Topanga State Park?
18. What sort of work is América hoping for?
Short Answer Questions - Part 1, Chapters 3-4 (pages 30-62)
1. Which of the following describes the appearance of the homes in
Arroyo Blanco Estates?
2. Who makes up the rest of Delaney's household?
3. How many hours each day does Delaney devote to his work?
4. Who or what ends up killing one of the family's dogs?
5. Why is Delaney angry toward his neighbors?
6. Who presides over the meeting at the Arroyo Blanco Community
Center?
7. Which of the following is NOT one of the objections residents have
about building a security gate?
8. Which character says he thinks building a gate is necessary?
9. What is Delaney hiding in his pocket during the community
gathering?
10. Who appears oddly interested in the person Delaney hit with his
car?
11. What does América bring to Candidó when she returns home?
12. Who does Candidó think América resembles?
13. What causes Candidó's first marriage to end?
14. What happens to Candidó when he drinks the dirty water?
15. Who does Candidó pray to when he hears people coming to his
campsite?
16. Who approaches América and tells her that she is looking for
cleaning work?
17. What time of day does the labor exchange close?
18. Which of the following does Candidó notice about one of the boys
who attacks his campsite?
Short Answer Questions - Part 1, Chapters 5-6 (pages 63-97)
1. What does Delaney see on his walk through Arroyo Blanco?
2. What is Kyra wearing when Delaney returns home from his walk
around Arroyo Blanco in the evening?
3. Which character has severe nightmares?
4. Why is Kyra dissatisfied with her appearance?
5. Which of the following would Kyra like to live in someday?
6. What is the subject of one of Delaney's columns?
7. How many days does América look for work before she finds a job?
8. What do América and Candidó fight about before she goes to the
labor exchange?
9. Who gives América a cup of coffee?
10. Who eventually hires América for housecleaning work?
11. How much does América make per hour?
12. Who is América's coworker?
13. What does Candidó do to protect his family from the attackers?
14. With what does Candidó build their new shelter?
15. Who does Candidó encounter as he is coming out of the park?
16. Where does Candidó look for América after her first day of work?
17. What does América's new job consist of?
18. How long does América work on her first day?
Short Answer Questions - Part 1, Chapters 7-8 (pages 98-142)
1. What does Delaney run out of while cooking dinner?
2. Who goes with Delaney to buy pasta for dinner?
3. Who does Delaney run into at the store while shopping for dinner?
4. Of what does Delaney accuse Jack Jardine as they discuss the
security gate?
5. What is characteristic of the man Delaney sees in the parking lot?
6. What does the man in the parking lot do to Candidó?
7. To whom does Kyra show the Da Ros mansion?
8. Why does Kyra have difficulty selling the Da Ros house?
9. What does Delaney see near the creek in the canyon?
10. What language does Delaney hear further down the trail?
11. Who does Delaney see on the trail?
12. Which of the following best characterizes the conversation Delaney
has with the person he encounters on the trail?
13. What does Delaney notice after his hike?
14. Who does Delaney call from Li's Market?
15. What does Candidó's wife buy at the discount supermarket?
16. Who chooses Candidó for work?
17. What does América request from her employer?
18. Who does América encounter on the trail to her campsite?
Short Answer Questions - Part 2, Chapters 1-2 (pages 143-183)
1. Where does Delaney go to get a new car?
2. Who blames most car thefts on Mexicans?
3. Where does Delaney meet Kyra for lunch?
4. Why does Kyra become upset outside the restaurant when she goes
to meet Delaney for lunch?
5. What does Delaney do after lunch with Kyra?
6. Why does Kyra decide she will call INS on the Mexican men at the
convenience store?
7. In what situation does Kyra first see Candidó?
8. How does Kyra recognize Candidó?
9. Who does Kyra find inside the Da Ros mansion?
10. How long ago does Candidó remember being in Arroyo Blanco
Estates?
11. What happens to Candidó when he is captured by INS agents?
12. How much money does Candidó make the first day of working for Al
Lopez?
13. How does Candidó know his wife has been attacked?
14. Who or what is watching América from the brush near the
campsite?
15. How long does Candidó work for Al Lopez before he is replaced?
16. What does Candidó buy for himself with some of his earnings?
17. What does Candidó buy for his wife with his earnings?
18. What does Candidó swear he will do to the two men who attacked
his wife?
Short Answer Questions - Part 2, Chapters 3-4 (pages 184-210)
1. Osbert is what type of animal?
2. What does Delaney do while Kyra is swimming?
3. What does Kyra do about the Mexican laborers outside the 7-Eleven?
4. Delaney has a flashback to a party held where, two nights earlier?
5. Who is Dominick Flood?
6. Who flatters Delaney by praising his magazine column?
7. What is the topic of discussion at the party in Delaney's
neighborhood?
8. Who or what reportedly attacks Sunny DiMandia?
9. According to one resident, three Mexicans disguised themselves as
what to get past the gate of Arroyo Blanco Estates?
10. Dominick Flood reports that he will arrange to close what facility?
11. What jerks Delaney out of his flashback?
12. Who finds the labor exchange torn down?
13. What does the sign in front of the labor exchange say?
14. What does Candidó consider stealing out of a car when he becomes
angry?
15. How much money does the woman give to Candidó in the parking
lot of the Chinese store?
16. Where does Candidó decide to look for work after the labor
exchange has been torn down?
17. Where do Candidó and América store their savings?
18. How much does the man with a ponytail charge Candidó for staying
in a room for two nights?
Short Answer Questions - Part 2, Chapters 5-6 (pages 211-230)
1. What is the topic of Delaney's column, "Pilgrim at Topanga Creek"?
2. Why does Kyra begin to resent the Da Ros mansion?
3. Who does Kyra complain to about the squatters?
4. What is Kyra's relationship to Darlene?
5. What is Darlene supposed to do if Kyra does not call her within
fifteen minutes of arriving at the Da Ros place?
6. Where does Jordan stay after the attack on the family dog?
7. Who canvasses the neighborhood with Kyra?
8. What does Kyra give as her main reason for supporting the
construction of a stone wall?
9. Why do Kyra and Delaney get in an argument?
10. What does Delaney overhear Jack, Jr., saying about Mexican girls?
11. Who is Todd Sweet?
12. Why doesn't Delaney commit to openly opposing the wall?
Short Answer Questions - Part 2, Chapters 7-8 (pages 230-257)
1. How long does América wait for Candidó in Canoga Park?
2. What has happened to Candidó to delay his arrival at Canoga Park?
3. Where does Candidó go to clean himself up after he is beaten in
Canoga Park?
4. Why is América angry with Candidó after he decides to return from
Canoga Park to their old campsite?
5. What sort of weather does fall bring in Los Angeles, according to the
narrator?
6. For one of his columns, Delaney decides to write about
_______________ and turkey vultures.
7. Why does Delaney let a Mexican work crew into his yard?
8. What does Kyra give Delaney as a surprise gift?
9. What holiday do Kyra, Delaney, Jordan, and other residents of Arroyo
Blanco Estates celebrate together?
10. What does Delaney receive for free at the grocery store?
11. What change does Candidó notice in América since their return from
Canoga Park?
12. What is Candidó given by two English-speaking men?
Short Answer Questions - Part 3, Chapters 1-2 (pages 261-283)
1. What is Kit's relationship to Kyra?
2. Delaney, Kit, and Kyra attend a party at whose home?
3. Who does Jordan stay with during the party?
4. Which of the following characters says the fence surrounding Arroyo
Blanco Estates makes her feel safer?
5. Who notes that Delaney's column has made several people angry?
6. Why does Delaney's column anger readers?
7. Where do Kit, Kyra, and Delaney go after they hear that a fire has
broken out?
8. What does Kyra decide she needs to save from the fire?
9. What does Delaney decide to take with him while escaping from the
fire?
10. What makes América so happy that she does not notice the fire?
11. What starts the fire?
12. Who or what enters the shed just as América is about to give birth?
Short Answer Questions - Part 3, Chapters 3-4 (pages 284-308)
1. What does Delaney try to joke about when the fire is burning?
2. Who gets angry when Delaney jokes about the Thanksgiving turkey?
3. Who does Delaney tell police are probably responsible for starting
the fire?
4. Why does Delaney attack the man in the baseball cap?
5. What does Jordan search for in his home?
6. Which of the following homes is burned in the fire?
7. What does Kyra find in her purse?
8. What does América decide to name the baby?
9. Which of the following does Candidó not take from homes in Arroyo
Blanco Estates?
10. Where does Candidó build a shelter for his family?
11. What has América eaten instead of protein?
12. What does Candidó decide to do with the cat?
Short Answer Questions - Part 3, Chapters 5-6 (pages 309-331)
1. Which part of the Da Ros home remains intact after the fire?
2. Why do Delaney and Kyra go out walking together?
3. Why does Jack want Delaney and Kyra to get in his car?
4. Which character sets up cameras along the fence?
5. Which of the following characters has a darkroom?
6. Whose face appears on the camera film set up near the gate?
7. What happens to the bills Candidó is saving?
8. Where does América tell Candidó she wants to move?
9. Why is the newborn baby not considered a citizen of the United
States?
10. Who notices first that Socorro may be blind?
11. What animal does Candidó tell América they are eating?
12. What happens as Candidó is walking toward the Italian market?
Short Answer Questions - Part 3, Chapters 7-8 (pages 332-355)
1. What does Delaney do when he sees Candidó walking on the side of
the road?
2. Who calls 911 when he sees Candidó?
3. Why does a woman hit Delaney's car?
4. Who does Delaney decide to follow into the woods?
5. Why does Kyra pull off the side of the road?
6. What does Kyra discover in Agoura?
7. What does Delaney retrieve from his home before searching for
Candidó?
8. Who does Delaney ultimately discover has been spray-painting the
gate?
9. What does Delaney do to the incriminating pictures of the people
who spray-painted the gate?
10. What does América think causes Socorro to be blind?
11. Which characters are carried away by the water down the hillside?
12. Who extends his hand to lift Delaney to safety from the flood?
Tortilla Curtain
Short Essay Question - Part 1, Chapters 1-2 (pages 3-29)
1. Where does this story take place?
2. Describe the relationships between Delaney, Kyra, and Jordan.
3. What do Kyra and Delaney do for a living?
4. Describe the first interaction between Delaney and Candidó.
5. What sorts of injuries does Candidó suffer after being hit by a car?
6. Describe the relationship between América and Candidó.
Short Essay Question - Part 1, Chapters 3-4 (pages 30-62)
7. Describe the physical appearance of the homes and grounds at
Arroyo Blanco Estates.
8. Describe the typical weekday morning routine for Kyra, Delaney, and
Jordan.
9. What is the topic of conversation at the first gathering at Arroyo
Blanco Community Center?
10. Describe Candidó's flashback about Resurrección.
11. How does Candidó become ill at the campsite?
12. Describe América's experience looking for work at the labor
exchange.
Short Essay Question - Part 1, Chapters 5-6 (pages 63-97)
13. Describe Kyra's relationship with the Da Ros place.
14. Why does Candidó become so angry with América that he slaps her?
15. Describe América's interaction with the light-skinned Mexican at the
labor exchange.
16. Describe América's new employer and what sort of work he hires
her to do.
17. What does Candidó do after he decides that the current campsite is
not safe enough for him and América?
18. Describe Candidó's interaction with the light-skinned Mexican in the
park.
Short Essay Question - Part 1, Chapters 7-8 (pages 98-142)
19. What do Delaney and Jack Jardine argue about at the supermarket?
20. Why does Delaney drive down to the trails for a hike?
21. What is Delaney's encounter with the light-skinned Mexican and his
friend like?
22. What does Delaney think happened to his car while he is hiking?
23. Why does América knock on the front door of her employer's home
in the middle of the workday?
24. What sort of interactions occur in the car between América and the
fat man?
Short Essay Question - Part 2, Chapters 1-2 (pages 143-183)
25. Why does Delaney dislike Kenny Grissom?
26. What is Kyra's response to the large group of Mexican men sitting
outside a convenience store?
27. Describe the first time Kyra sees Candidó.
28. Describe the flashback Candidó has regarding his encounter with
the INS.
29. What impact does the attack by the light-skinned Mexican and his
friend have on América?
30. What does Candidó do after he is replaced by a legal immigrant on
Lopez's crew?
Short Essay Question - Part 2, Chapters 3-4 (pages 184-210)
31. What is Delaney's response to Kyra's report that she called the
police about the group of Mexicans outside the convenience store?
32. Describe the circumstances in which Delaney meets Dominick Flood.
33. What are two examples of crimes at Arroyo Blanco Estates that are
discussed at Jack's party?
34. Is the security fence effective in keeping out coyotes from
residents' yards? How do you know?
35. What does Candidó do after he realizes that the labor exchange has
been torn down?
36. Describe Candidó's and América's experiences at Canoga Park.
Short Essay Question - Part 2, Chapters 5-6 (pages 211-230)
37. What is the general message of Delaney's column, "Pilgrim at
Topanga Creek"?
38. Why does Kyra begin sleeping in Jordan's bedroom?
39. What does Delaney overhear at the Arroyo Blanco Estates
community center?
40. Describe Delaney's encounter at Arroyo Blanco Estates with the
Mexican who wears his hat backward.
Short Essay Question - Part 2, Chapters 7-8 (pages 230-257)
41. What are the interactions between América and Candidó like after
he returns from being beaten?
42. How does Delaney perceive fall weather in Los Angeles?
43. What does Kyra give Delaney when he helps her close the Da Ros
place? What does Delaney tell her when she describes to him why she
likes the mansion?
44. Describe how Candidó acquires a frozen turkey.
Short Essay Question - Part 3, Chapters 1-2 (pages 261-283)
45. Describe the scene at Dominick Flood's home on Thanksgiving.
46. What helps América emerge from her depression?
47. Describe Candidó's and América's escape from the fire in the
canyon.
48. What is Candidó's reaction to the onset of América's contractions?
Short Essay Question - Part 3, Chapters 3-4 (pages 284-308)
49. Describe how the two Mexicans come to be arrested by the police.
50. What does Dominick Flood do when the fire breaks out? How do we
know?
51. How does Candidó collect materials to build a shelter for himself
and his family?
52. Why does Candidó think América needs more protein? How does he
make sure she gets enough protein?
Short Essay Question - Part 3, Chapters 5-6 (pages 309-331)
53. What is Delaney's plan for catching anyone who comes near the
gate?
54. What does Delaney discover when he develops the film in the
Cherrystones' home? How does he recognize this person?
55. What does América notice about Socorro's health? How does she
first notice it?
56. What happens to Candidó in the parking lot of the Chinese grocery?
Short Essay Question - Part 3, Chapters 7-8 (pages 332-355)
57. Why is Delaney's car hit by a pickup truck?
58. How does Kyra come to decide that the 'real' money is in developing
rather than in real estate?
59. How does Delaney discover that Candidó is not guilty of spray
painting the gate?
60. What occurs after Delaney enters América's and Candidó's shack
with his gun?
Essay Topics
1. Compare and contrast the characters of Delaney and Candidó. How are their
lives different? How are the characters the same?
2. Describe the experience of Candidó and América in the first part of the book
from the point at which Candidó is hit by a car to the point at which he is
recovered from his injuries. What is it like for them to be living in the United
States? What are the advantages and disadvantages of their current living and
employment situations?
3. Candidó experiences flashbacks in this story that refer to his prior
experiences with marriage and living in the United States. What do these
flashbacks teach us about Candidó? What purpose do the flashbacks serve in
the story?
4. Characters' names are symbolic in this story. Choose two characters and
describe what their names symbolize. Why would Boyle choose these particular
names for the characters?
5. América eventually finds work at the labor exchange. What sort of work does
she find? Do you think this particular form of work is ironic for América? Why or
why not?
6. Boyle's story presents two marriages that appear to be very different from
one another. How are the relationships different? How are they the same? Be
sure to use specific examples from your reading.
7. How is the sexual assault on América foreshadowed in the earlier part of the
book? Do you expect her to be assaulted? Why or why not?
8. The wall is a significant part of Boyle's story. What does the wall symbolize?
What similarities can you give between the wall and Candidó's qualities?
9. Dominick Flood appears in Boyle's story only briefly, yet serves a significant
role. Describe Flood's character, his impact on the story, and any irony Boyle
uses in writing about Flood.
10. The coyote reappears numerous times throughout this work. What does the
coyote symbolize according to the narrator and to Delaney? How does Delaney's
understanding of coyotes also relate to his understanding of Mexican
immigrants?
11. Critical events in Boyle's story revolve around the Thanksgiving holiday,
and the term "pilgrim" is mentioned at least twice throughout the story. Why do
you think Boyle chose Thanksgiving and pilgrims in this particular book? What
sort of meanings are attached to the terms? How do those meanings relate to
the themes of the book?
12. Kyra and América are two women in the same town, yet are very different
in numerous ways. Compare and contrast the two female characters by using
specific examples from Boyle's book.
13. The title of Boyle's work, "The Tortilla Curtain," does not obviously
communicate the theme of his book. In your opinion, why does Boyle choose
this particular title for his work? What does this title signify? What does it tell
readers about the story?
14. How do specific characters conform to expectations of those around them in
Boyle's story? In what context does this occur? What is the author seeming to
say about the impact that conformation may have on relationships between
people?
15. In the initial part of the book, Delaney is firmly against the construction of a
security fence around his neighborhood. How does his opinion change over time
and why? What influences does he encounter that result in these fluctuations?
16. Boyle uses a great deal of imagery in his book, particularly in the final
chapters. What specific examples of imagery does Boyle include? How does this
imagery add to the readers' experience of the story?
17. Identify the climax of this story and the series of events leading up to the
climax. How do the characters respond to the climax? What does Boyle include
in his story to insure that the climax will be as powerful and meaningful as
possible?
18. How is Boyle's story ultimately resolved? Do you think the plot is
adequately resolved? In your opinion, what could have been added (or
removed) to make it more meaningful?
19. Boyle's book revolves around ethical and moral issues as well as questions
regarding ethical boundaries. What ethical boundaries are breached or broken in
this story? Does this happen because of necessity or simple ignorance? Identify
one ethical boundary and defend the character's reasoning for breaking it.
20. Which character in Boyle's book is most likable? Why? Which character do
you like the least? What is it about that particular character that causes you to
dislike him or her?
Chapter Abstracts
Chapter abstracts are short descriptions of events that occur in each chapter.
They highlight major plot events and detail the important relationships and
characteristics of characters and objects.
Part 1, Chapters 1-2 (pages 3-29) Abstract
* Delaney Mossbacher accidentally hits Candidó, an illegal Mexican immigrant,
with his Acura on his way to the recycling center.
* Delaney searches for Candidó and finds him lying in the brush, his face and
hand injured, holding a bag of tortillas.
* Delaney attempts to communicate with Candidó but cannot because he does
not speak Spanish, and gives him a twenty dollar bill instead.
Part 1, Chapters 3-4 (pages 30-62) Abstract
* Candidó has been badly injured and walks back to the campsite to sleep.
* Candidó's wife, América, who is expecting their first child, returns to the
campsite as well and finds Candidó there.
* América cooks a meal bought with the twenty dollars and feeds it to Candidó,
who is not well until the end of the second day.
Part 1, Chapters 5-6 (pages 63-97) Abstract
* The accident has left Candidó's left arm useless, and he worries that it will
affect his chances of working.
* América decides to look for work at the labor exchange and leaves Candidó at
the campsite.
* Candidó is worried that América will be assaulted by strange men if she
continues to be by herself.
Part 1, Chapters 7-8 (pages 98-142) Abstract
* The narrator describes Arroyo Blanco Estates, where Delaney, Kyra, and
Kyra's son, Jordan, live.
* Delaney typically does most of the household tasks and writes a monthly
column at home for a nature magazine while Kyra works a high-powered real
estate career.
* When the family is getting ready in the morning, they witness a coyote
capturing one of their dogs and jumping over the fence with it.
* This angers Delaney, as he thinks his neighbors should be more worried about
wildlife than they are about immigrants staying out of the neighborhood.
Part 2, Chapters 1-2 (pages 143-183) Abstract
* That night, Delaney attends a meeting at the Arroyo Blanco Community
Center.
* Jack Jardine proposes a security gate to keep unwanted visitors out, and his
idea is hotly debated among residents.
* Delaney tries to advocate for measures to keep coyotes out of the property,
but the members are not interested.
* Jack Jardine, Jr., comes up to Delaney and asks him where Candidó's
campsite is, and Delaney wonders why he is so interested.
Part 2, Chapters 3-4 (pages 184-210) Abstract
* América continues to look for work while Candidó recovers.
* Candidó has a flashback about his first wife, Resurrección, who cheated on
him and is also América's older sister.
* Candidó becomes sick after he drinks dirty water and finds shelter away from
his campsite when he hears some teenagers coming.
* The teenagers, one of whom has red hair like Jack Jardine, Jr., destroy the
campsite and write offensive messages on the rocks surrounding camp.
Part 2, Chapters 5-6 (pages 211-230) Abstract
* Delaney is on a walk through Arroyo Blanco when he is passed by a large car
with tinted windows that he finds suspicious.
* Kyra has nightmares that night about the dog that was killed by the coyote.
* Delaney composes his monthly column about taking an overnight camping trip
in the canyon.
Part 2, Chapters 7-8 (pages 230-257) Abstract
* América and Candidó quarrel, as he does not want her to have to look for
work.
* América says Candidó has not provided for her, and he slaps her across the
face.
* América does go to the labor exchange and accepts a cup of coffee from a
light-skinned Mexican that she does not trust.
* A fat man drives up to the labor exchange and offers to hire América and a
white woman for twenty-five dollars for six hours of work.
Part 3, Chapters 1-2 (pages 261-283) Abstract
* Candidó finds a new spot on a sandbar to build a campsite.
* He starts to climb up to the street in order to show América their new place.
* Candidó runs into the light-skinned Mexican, who is also looking for a place to
stay in the canyon.
* Candidó tells him that the canyon is not safe, and he explains how the
teenagers destroyed his camp.
Part 3, Chapters 3-4 (pages 284-308) Abstract
* Delaney is cooking dinner and runs out of pasta, so he and Jordan go to the
store.
* Delaney runs into Jack Jardine and the two discuss the gate.
* Delaney accuses Jack of being a racist because he is prejudiced against
immigrants.
* Candidó is pushed onto the end of Delaney's car by a man with sideburns.
Part 3, Chapters 5-6 (pages 309-331) Abstract
* Delaney decides to write his column about animals that have been
transplanted to the canyon, so he goes for a hike.
* He encounters the light-skinned Mexican and his friend, with whom Delaney
has a pleasant conversation.
* When Delaney finishes his hike, he sees that his car is missing and mentally
accuses Candidó of stealing it.
Part 3, Chapters 7-8 (pages 332-355) Abstract
* América returns from her first day at work and Candidó is proud to show her
the new campsite.
* Candidó goes with América the next day to the labor exchange, but does not
get chosen for work.
* América is uncomfortable around her employer, as he tries to grope her and
put his hand in her lap while they are in the car.
* América returns to the canyon but does not find Candidó there.
* She encounters the light-skinned Mexican in the canyon, who sexually
assaults her.
Abstract
* Delaney gets a new car from the Acura dealership and meets Kyra for lunch.
* After lunch, Kyra sees a dog crying in a locked car so she confronts the dog's
owner, who is rude to her and drives away.
* On her way to a meeting, Kyra sees a large group of Mexican men sitting in
front of a convenience store.
* She vows to call INS on the men, as she believes their presence is bringing
down home prices in the area.
* That evening, Kyra is shutting down the Da Ros place for the night and finds
two Mexicans in the home.
* Candidó finally gets work on Al Lopez's crew after another worker is lost.
* Candidó and Mr. Lopez drive through Arroyo Blanco Estates, and Candidó
realizes that none of the homes existed six years earlier.
* Candidó has a flashback to when he was previously in the United States and
was rounded up by INS agents in Los Angeles.
* Candidó managed to escape from the agents and fled back to Mexico.
* After his first day on the job, Candidó finds América by the fire and can tell
that something is wrong because of the welts on her skin.
* América stays hidden at the campsite all the time after she is sexually
assaulted by the light-skinned Mexican.
* Candidó is replaced by a legal immigrant on Al Lopez's crew, so Candidó buys
some wine, gets drunk, and buys some maternity clothing for América at
Goodwill.
* Candidó swears to kill the man who sexually assaulted América if he ever sees
him again.
* Delaney, Kyra, and Jordan are playing and cooking dinner in the backyard at
home.
* Kyra tells Delaney how she reported the group of Mexicans outside the
convenience store.
* Delaney notes that he is not as bothered by this as he would have been
previously.
* Delaney thinks back to a party at Dominick Flood's home two nights earlier,
when Delaney, Flood, and Jack Jardine discussed the need for a security fence.
* The men discuss rumors regarding Mexicans sneaking into people's homes,
stealing from them, and attacking residents.
* Suddenly, a coyote jumps over the security fence, snatches Delaney's dog,
Osbert, in its mouth, and climbs back over the fence before Delaney can do
anything.
* Candidó returns to the labor exchange but finds it has been torn down.
* He is angry and considers stealing a purse and briefcase out of a car in the
parking lot.
* The owner of the car approaches Candidó and gives him sixty cents.
* Candidó and América walk to Canoga Park to look for work.
* They stand outside all day, and eventually a white man approaches Candidó
and offers him a place to stay.
* Delaney writes his monthly column on coyotes, how they are suited to their
environment, and how humans should be responsible for controlling the coyote
population.
* Kyra continues to visit the Da Ros place twice a day, but is becoming
increasingly nervous about the squatters she found.
* Kyra sends Jordan to stay with his grandmother after Osbert is attacked by
the coyote.
* Kyra agrees to drum up support for the proposal to construct a stone wall
around Arroyo Blanco Estates.
* Delaney disagrees with this proposal, and he and Kyra argue.
* Delaney is outside the community center one night when he hears Jack, Jr.,
referring to Mexican girls as sexually promiscuous and fat.
* Delaney is approached by Todd Sweet, who asks Delaney to help him
campaign against the stone wall; Delaney does not commit.
* Delaney sees the Mexican man wearing his hat backwards, and stops him to
ask what he is doing there.
* The man pulls a handful of fliers announcing the next meeting of the Arroyo
Blanco Estates property owners' association out of his bag.
* América waits for Candido at Canoga Park, and when he returns he has been
beaten and their money has been stolen.
* Candidó walks América back to their old campsite, and América is angry
because Candidó has not provided for his family.
* Candidó finds sporadic employment with Sesor Willis, an alcoholic building
contractor who pays eight dollars an hour.
* América becomes progressively more depressed and refuses to move or
bathe.
* As Candidó is buying food in the grocery store, two men in front of him in line
offer him a frozen Thanksgiving turkey they got for free.
* Delaney decides to write his next column on lizards and vultures.
* Delaney continues to disagree with the building of the wall, but does not
vocalize his sentiments.
* Kyra and Delaney close up the Da Ros place, and Delaney suggests that Kyra
drop the listing because it has not sold for months.
* Kyra gives Delaney a ladder to use when he needs to climb over the wall to
access hiking trails.
* Delaney and Kyra go to the grocery store to buy food for Thanksgiving, and
they are given a frozen turkey when they check out.
* Kyra, Delaney, and Kit, Kyra's mother, attend an early Thanksgiving party at
Dominick Flood's home while Jordan stays with the maid.
* The fence is the topic of conversation and Delaney is accused of advocating
population control in his latest column.
* A fire breaks out in the canyon and Delaney decides the family should
evacuate the house.
* Kyra saves the photo albums and Delaney takes his computer and books.
* When Candidó brings América the turkey, her depression begins to lift.
* The fire breaks out nearby, and Candidó leads América out of the canyon and
to the road.
* América begins having contractions, so Candidó finds a shed for América to
rest.
* A Siamese cat enters the shed and América refers to the cat as her midwife.
* While Delaney and his family are waiting at the top of the canyon, Delaney
spots two Mexican men and accuses them of starting the fire.
* Neighbors yell at the Mexicans and the police arrest them.
* Delaney later feels ashamed that he made the accusation.
* Kyra's mother finds Dominick Flood's ankle strap in her purse, and they
assume that Flood fled the country during the fire.
* América gives birth to Candidó's daughter, Socorro.
* The following day, Candidó takes various items from homes in Arroyo Blanco
Estates and builds a shelter in the brush below the fence.
* Candidó decides to kill the Siamese cat for stew. He does not know that the
cat is Dame Edna, Delaney's pet.
* Kyra finds the Da Ros place burned to the ground and blames the Mexicans.
* Jack Jardine shows Kyra and Delaney the graffiti on the front gate of Arroyo
Blanco Estates.
* Delaney sets up cameras along the fence to catch the Mexicans that come
near the gate.
* When he develops the film, Delaney sees Candidó's face, which he remembers
from the day that he hit Candidó with his car.
* Candidó and América have lost all their savings in the fire, and América is
very upset and afraid.
* América realizes that Socorro may be blind when she takes the baby outside
and Socorro stares blankly.
* Candidó continues to have trouble securing work and stands outside the post
office every day.
* As Candidó walks along the side of the road, Delaney's car almost hits him.
* Kyra finds an impressive mansion in a rural area one day and decides that she
will get into development rather than real estate.
* Delaney sees Candidó walking on the side of the road and stops his car.
* Another driver hits Delaney's car with her truck when Candidó walks into
traffic.
* Delaney returns home to get his flashlight and gun.
* Delaney sees new graffiti on the gate, so he develops the film and sees Jack,
Jr., and his friend spray painting the gate.
* Delaney enters América's and Candidó's shelter with his gun, and a large
wave of water carries them down the hill.
* Candidó is stopped by the roof of the post office, but Socorro is lost in the
flood.
* Delaney struggles in the water, so Candidó reaches down his hand and offers
to help pull Delaney up to safety.