Across A Hundred Mountains

The morning after Juana’s twelfth birthday, Apá leaves for the United States. Before he leaves, Juana gives him her rosary, to keep him safe. Amá and Juana don’t get out of bed for most of the day. Eventually, Apá’s mother and Juana’s grandmother, Abuelita Elena, visits the home and scolds Amá for being lazy. Amá kicks her out of the house. Later, Juana’s godmother and Amá’s good friend, Antonia, comes over. Juana overhears their conversation and learns that Amá was a beggar when she and Apá met, and Abuelita Elena never wanted Apá to marry Amá, and has never liked her since. That night, Juana hears an owl, which makes her nervous, as “owls always brought bad news. News of death” (41).

The next day, Don Elías comes to visit. Don Elías paid for Anita’s funeral, and Juana’s family is now indebted to him. Amá assures Don Elías that she will pay their debt once Apá sends her money in four weeks.

After four weeks, Juana and Amá have not heard from Apá. Rumors spread that Apá has abandoned his family. Juana begins skipping school. Meanwhile Amá is working at the train station selling quesadillas. Juana notices Amá getting sick, and though Amá insists it’s only because she misses Apá, Juana doesn’t believe her.

After five weeks, Don Elías shows up at their home. Amá tries to offer him a few coins but he refuses. He pushes Amá against a wall and says to her, “‘there are other ways we can arrange for you to pay back your debt’” (59). When Amá refuses him, Don Elías says he will make sure Amá can’t get a job anywhere in town. When Amá returns to the train station the next day, her employer tells her that she owes a debt to Don Elías, and Amá can no longer work at the quesadilla stand.

In Mexico City, Adelina receives a call from her coworker, Maggie, at the shelter where she works in Los Angeles. Adelina had left abruptly, telling her coworkers that there’d been an emergency. Adelina reassures Maggie that she is all right. Maggie tells Adelina that Dr. Luna came by the shelter looking for her.

The next morning, Adelina boards a bus. It’s a three-hour ride to her mother’s home outside Mexico City. Adelina remembers the old man who had shown her to her father’s grave. He had a film over one eye that had looked familiar to Adelina. After showing her to the grave, the man followed Adelina back to her hotel. He told her that they’d met sixteen years ago, when Adelina was first looking for her father. At the time, the man hadn’t admitted that he’d buried Adelina’s father because he didn’t want to be accused of killing him. Adelina realizes that “she had been so close to knowing the truth back then” (56).