A boy and a girl fall in live. The hopes of two families collide with destiny. After fifteen-year-old Maribel sustains a terrible injury, the only hope her family sees for her recovery lies in the United States. Leaving a comfortable life behind in Mexico, the Riveras risk everything to come north. It's not long after they settle that Mayor Toro, the son of one of their new neighbors, recognizes a kindred spirit in this beautiful, damaged outsider. Their love story sets in motion events that will profoundly aggect the pair of star-crossed lovers and their two families. Resonant with the hopes and dreams, guilt and love of men and women from all over Latin America who have come to the United States, The Book of Unknown Americans is a stunning novel that gives us a new definition of what it is to be an American.