the midwest is where the mother-character who appears in many of these stories longs to be immersed in a hispanic culture that she has left behind in texas. the children that appear in mayo's stories hear their parents speak mystifying words in spanish, or performing healing rituals such as that to banish "el mal ojo" (the evil eye; see curandero) that leave them confused. pictured growing up in traditional mexican kitchens where "lengua" (tongue) is cooked and tales are spun, on the beach, or in suburban schoolrooms and living-rooms, the children try to choose between their mexican and their american roots. despite the central characters’ attempts to discover and own their real roots, they find themselves mystified or repelled by the foreignness of a world that should be familiar.