The story of illegal aliens in California, told through the eyes of two very different couples, one well-off Anglos, the other illegal Mexicans living in a canyon. The novel chronicles their relationship against the background of growing hostility between immigrants and natives.

"This collection of fourteen stories effortlessly drifts between myth and reality, encompassing a panorama of human emotions. . Boyle travels the world in these stories, from California to Russia, Latin America to upstate New York, but his adept touch at depicting the lives of his characters never wavers"--Container.