Casi,whoisalmostfourteenyearsold,hasbeenskippingschoolandspendingherdayshiddenamongthehedgesinalocalpark,listeningtomusicandreadingwomen’smagazines.Oneday,Viejo,afifty-year-oldman,stumblesuponherhidingplace,andthetwostrikeupafriendship.HetellsheraboutbirdsandNinaSimone,buyshersodaandchips,andspendsalmosteverydaytalkingwithher.Despitetheiragegap,there’ssomethingchildlikeaboutViejothatleadsCasitobelievethathe’snotliketheothermenshe’sencountered,thedangerousones.ButViejohasanumberofsecretsinhispast--allofwhichwouldbeofgraveconcerntoCasi’sparentsoranyotheradultwhowitnessedoneoftheirrendezvous.Asthesesecretsrisetothesurface,theclockisticking,theweatherisgrowingcoldandtheschoolisuntanglingCasi’ssetoflies,settingupamomentwheresomethinghastogive.Withspare,directprose,SaraMesaimbuesthesetwooutcastswithagreatdealofwarmth,raisingquestionsaboutsociety’sprejudicesandassumptions,andcreatingatrulymovingnovelofaninappropriaterelationship.
