Joaquin's story continues as he becomes the guardian of Rudy, once the two men return home from Korea, Joaquin with a plate covering a hole in his skull from shrapnel wounds, and Rudy less than whole, missing one leg. Even when he finds and marries the perfect woman, his life still has its share of loss and disappointments. His Hopi grandmother's teachings guide him along the way, as well as the mental images of the lessons she taught him in his youth. The desert he loves remains as his solitude when life becomes too complex, and it turns up surprises that even he didn't expect, surprises that turn his world on end.