It’s the 1970s in El Paso, Texas, and the Mexican-American Flores family is trying to navigate their lives after a tragic car crash that left the daughter, Ceci, brain damaged. Ceci can no longer speak but she can understand what’s happening around her and holds secrets within her body that she cannot release. The mother, Rosa, is overwhelmed and exhausted from taking care of her daughter and the rest of the family, so she hires a young Mexican woman named Lydia to help around the house and take care of Ceci. An orphan from Mexico, Lydia has come to the country illegally to start a new life but it is quickly understood that she is no normal woman. Her presence affects each family member in different ways: Misha, the young brother, falls in love with her; Claudio, the father, becomes sexually involved with her; and, most importantly, Lydia seems to be able to read Ceci’s mind and communicate with her. Lydia penetrates deep into the family dynamic and eventually helps Ceci reveal the family secrets that have been slowly tearing them all apart.
Lydia guide sections
