Lena, a ten-year old girl, has to leave a drought stricken West Texas ranch for the orange groves of South Texas. There she sees and learns about "wet backs" and their continuing role in the U.S. When she moves back to the ranch, she meets the "dot.com" millionaire who has bought it. Lena finds them to have much in common--composing the patchwork of her life, and of America.