fer ' s ▁main ▁work ▁of ▁pro se , ▁and ▁its ▁publication ▁helped ▁bro aden ▁her ▁read ership . ▁ ▁Origin ally ▁published ▁in ▁English , ▁the ▁novel ▁tells ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁a ▁Puerto ▁R ican ▁family ▁that ▁em igr ates ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁The ▁story ▁dep ict s ▁the ▁cultural , ▁social , ▁and ▁personal ▁strugg les ▁of ▁family ▁members ▁to ▁maintain ▁their ▁native ▁Puerto ▁R ican ▁culture , ▁and ▁their ▁way ▁of ▁life , ▁both ▁in ▁the ▁Puerto ▁R ican ▁bar rio ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁sub ur bs ▁of ▁New ▁Jersey . ▁The ▁beginning ▁rec ount s ▁the ▁family ' s ▁history ▁in ▁Puerto ▁Rico , ▁and ▁the ▁trouble d ▁life ▁of ▁Uncle ▁Gu zm án . ▁The ▁second ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁novel ▁focus es ▁on ▁Mar is ol , ▁the ▁el dest ▁daughter ▁of ▁the ▁family . ▁Mar is ol ▁narr ates ▁her ▁family ' s ▁migration ▁as ▁they ▁transition ▁from ▁rural ▁life ▁and ▁the ▁conditions ▁of ▁the ▁Island ▁to ▁a ▁ten ement ▁building ▁in ▁New ▁Jersey , ▁ultimately ▁sett ling ▁in ▁the ▁sub ur bs . ▁Her ▁comment ary ▁also ▁covers ▁her ▁mother ' s ▁brief ▁return ▁to ▁the ▁Island . ▁ ▁Syn opsis ▁ ▁Plot ▁and ▁setting ▁ ▁The ▁novel ▁is ▁divided ▁into ▁two ▁parts , ▁trac ing ▁the ▁family ' s ▁story ▁in ▁Puerto ▁Rico , ▁and ▁then ▁New ▁Jersey . ▁▁ ▁The ▁first ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁novel , ▁in ▁Puerto ▁Rico , ▁is ▁character ized ▁by ▁descri ptions ▁of ▁tropical ▁fl ora ▁and ▁fa