This book takes place during the Rafael Trujillo dictatorship in the Dominican Republic. In this book, Trujillo is described as having a penchant for "courting" and then raping young women. Adults warn the protagonist, her sister, and other young girls not to be too pretty in public. Still, the protagonist's older sister receives a bouquet of flowers from Trujillo, which prompts her family to organize to help her flee the country. There is a scene towards the end of the book where a shopkeeper frisks the protagonist to see if she stole anything and touches her breasts in the process.