In 1961 after Castro has come to power in Cuba, fourteen-year-old Lucia and her seven-year-old brother are sent to the United States when her parents, who are not in favor of the new regime, fear that the children will be taken away from them as others have been.

"There are two versions of Ȟctor: the public and the private. It's the only way to survive in communist Cuba--especially when your father was exiled to the U.S. and labeled an enemy of the people. Ȟctor must always be seen as a fierce supporter of the regime, even if that means loudly rejecting the father he still loves. But in the summer of 1980, those two versions are hard to keep separate. No longer able to suppress a public uprising, the Cuban...

In 1920s Cuba, Rima is bullied and shunned for her illegitimacy, but finds solace in riding her horse and forges unexpected friendships with others who share her dreams of freedom and suffrage. Includes historical note.