All of us find ourselves compromised by circumstances beyond our control. Young Lyle Ortiz finds himself and his sisters in a situation well beyond the resources of a fourteen year old, much less a teen without a support system that he can access with the reasonable expectation of an acceptable outcome. He must create a way to live with the loss of his grandfather. He must rely upon his own wits and intellect in a world that has been less than generous to him and his sisters. He tries to make it all work on his own, without adult supervision, only to find that he does indeed have a guardian angel who he never thought would care. He has bitten off more than he can handle when he meets his Mexican relatives. The appearance of his Aunt Magdalena sets off a chain of events that he cannot abide. As a last resort to regain control of his destiny, he turns to the only teacher he ever trusted, Jeep, and in turn, the old sage, Kelly, Jeep's trusted friend and fellow traveler on life's Journey. The real questions of life and coming of age are explored by this unlikely crew. Everyone grows some; everyone finds their weaknesses, and finally the strength of a bright, dedicated surrogate mother pulls everyone together, as she leads an ad hoc organization in one great effort to save a life. The journey will be fun and informative, as we all follow the trials of Lucky Lyle Ortiz.