Summer of the Mariposas

Before the Garza sisters leave Hacienda Dorada for home, Abuelita Remedios gives Odilia some seeds, saying, “from my garden to yours” (261). The group travels through Monclova, and Odilia notes how beautiful it is. Just as the girls are about to part from their grandmother, they realize they have not brought their papers with them and therefore cannot cross the border legally. The girls worry that if they go to the police, then Child Protective Services will get involved.

Odilia leads her grandmother and sisters into a nearby church and asks Tonantzin for help. They are whisked to a moonlit path and find themselves in front of Tonantzin. When Juanita asks if they are dreaming, Tonantzin replies, “Dreams are revelations” (272). Tonantzin tells the girls that the mother is the earth, every part of her is alive, and her faith in her offspring is everlasting. Tonantzin agrees to help the girls go home if they will give roses to the mother. Odilia assumes she means their mother. The Garza girls and Abuelita Remedios then find themselves by a misty shore.