Ana Rosa is a blossoming young writer growing up in a poor seaside village in the Dominican Republic. At the young age of twelve, she finds herself faced with turning points that will make up who she is—watching her brother's search for a future, learning to dance and to love, and finding out what it means to be a part of a community.

But in a country where words are feared, Ana Rosa must struggle to find her own voice and the means for it to be heard. Gradually she learns that her words have the power to transform the world around her—celebrating what is most beautiful on her island and transcending even the most unthinkable of tragedies.