When the novel opens, Paloma is reluctant to spend four weeks in Mexico, viewing it as an interference to her summer plans. Her mother, however, emphasizes her wish for Paloma to experience the country in which her father grew up. Cervantes therefore uses the novel to convey the positive meaning that can be derived from discovering familial heritage. Because Paloma’s father died in an accident when she was quite young, she has no real memories of him. She listens any time her mother shares an anecdote about him, eager to form a sense of the person he was. Paloma takes pride in the aspects of her identity which are uniquely Mexican, including her name. Knowing that her father chose the Spanish word for “dove” specifically for her is important because of the connotations it carries of love and peace. Paloma seeks to emulate these qualities in her life, understanding that they were important to her father.

As Paloma spends time in Mexico, she quickly recognizes that the trip is indeed an opportunity to learn about the person her father was. The trip indirectly becomes a way to learn about the things that her father loved and valued, specifically the art of Frida Kahlo.