"Based on a true story, the tale of one girl's perilous journey to cross the U.S. border and lead her family to safety during the Mexican Revolution"--

It is 1913, and twelve-year-old Petra Luna's mama has died while the Revolution rages in Mexico. Before her papa is dragged away by soldiers, Petra vows to him that she will care for the family she has left--her abuelita, little sister Amelia, and baby brother Luisito--until they can be reunited. They flee north through the unforgiving desert as their town burns, searching for safe harbor in a world that offers none. Each night when Petra closes her eyes, she holds her dreams close, especially her long-held desire to learn to read. Abuelita calls these barefoot dreams: "They're like us barefoot peasants and indios--they're not meant to go far." But Petra refuses to listen. Through battlefields and deserts, hunger and fear, Petra will stop at nothing to keep her family safe and lead them to a better life across the U.S. border--a life where her barefoot dreams could finally become reality.

"Es 1913 y la mamá de Petra Luna, una niña de doce años, ha muerto mientras la Revolución hace estragos en México. Antes de que los soldados se llevaran a su papá, Petra le promete que cuidará de la familia que le queda: su abuelita, su hermana pequeña Amelia y su hermanito Luisito, hasta que puedan reunirse con él. Juntos huyen hacia el norte mientras arde la ciudad que dejaron atrás, y cruzan el desierto cruel e inhumano en busca de un refugio seguro en un mundo que no ofrece muchos."--