In the beginning of the novel, Lucia is 14 years old. She longs for more freedom and respect from her parents. She believes that she has a better understanding of the political situation than her parents do, revealing her naivete and immaturity. When she is confronted with negative aspects of the revolution, she thinks there is a logical explanation or good reason for it all. Though Lucia believes she is mature, her actions and thoughts reveal that she is not yet as mature as she thinks.

In the beginning of Chapter 5, Lucia is eager to run errands on her own, wear pink nail polish, and be treated like an adult. She experiences a reckoning in Chapter 8, when she runs home seeking comfort in her mother’s arms after finding Doc Machado’s body in the park. This confrontation with the reality of Castro’s revolution marks the beginning of Lucia’s coming-of-age journey, as her recognition of the severity of the situation marks one step toward emotional maturity. From this point forward, she teeters between wanting to be more grown up and still being a child.

A key aspect of growing into adulthood is a loss of innocence. As Lucia’s experiences push her closer to maturity, she experiences a corresponding loss of innocence.