Partially autobiographical, this is a masterpiece of introspective, linguistically innovative fiction about the relationship between two sisters, one severely handicapped, the other gifted yet overlooked. Mariana is four years older than her sister, Alcira, but Mariana is severely disabled and is slowly dying. Conveying the experience of a physically messy process, this account points out the flaws in adult society through the point-of-view of its child protagonist. At its core, this novel is about the abuse of power and its consequences--whether that abuse is by a government, a parent, or a child.