 Anaya's life and that of Antonio parallel in other ways that ground the conflict with which his young protagonist struggles in advancing to adolescence.As a small child Anaya moved with his family from Las Pasturas, his relatively isolated birthplace on the "llano" to Santa Rosa a "city" by New Mexico standards of the time.This move plays a large part in the first chapter of Anaya's first novel as it sets the stage for Antonio's father's great disappointment in losing the lifestyle of the "llano" that he loved so well, and perhaps the kindling of his dream to embark on a new adventure to move with his sons to California—a dream that never would be.