Seventeen-year-old Marisa comes from a family of Mexican immigrants and lives in Houston, Texas. She was raised to be an obedient and dutiful daughter. Like all members of her family, she is expected to work and contribute her wages to help with the household bills. In addition, she is responsible for taking care of her young niece and the preparation of all her family’s meals. Despite all that she does for her family, Marisa manages to get good grades in school. In fact, her math teacher is so impressed that she strongly encourages Marisa to apply to college. When she is accepted into the engineering program at a school in Austin, she finally begins to realize that she can aspire to do more with her life than what her family expects of her. For once, she begins to believe her dreams of leaving home, earning a college degree and getting a good job can come true. However, she faces a huge dilemma: should she follow her dreams or remain bound by family obligations? This realistic look into the life of a Mexican-American teenager will resonate with many.
