Julia Reyes, the precocious and strong-willed teenage daughter of first-generation Mexican immigrants, dreams of becoming a famous writer far away from Chicago and her more traditional parents, who wish she were more like her sister Olga, the platonic ideal of a Mexican daughter. However, when Olga is killed in a tragic accident, it is up to Julia to hold her family together. As Julia seeks to break free of her oppressive home, she tries to uncover her sister’s truth, and in the process gains a deep understanding of the wounds her family carries.