Carlos Montoya is a young father of two who must leave his family in Mexico to find work in the fields of California. He begins work at the Booker Ranch and immediately finds himself caught in an impossible situation when the owner's wife chooses him for a special project. Soon he begins a friendship with their daughter, Julie, and embarks on a romantic relationship with another woman, Maria. When Julie fears her father may harm Carlos, she convinces him to leave and return home. However, Carlos returns to America the next year, and this time, he doesn't escape unharmed. His past catches up with him. He is arrested and beaten before escaping back to Mexico, vowing never to return. Twenty-six years later, a stranger arrives at his door with a message from an old friend in America. Carlos must now weigh his loyalty against his fear.

Set against the turbulence of the late sixties, this novel addresses many of the social issues of the time, especially those relevant to migrant workers in California. Though the novel's protagonist and his relationships are front and center in the storyline, they are a catalyst for the story of the treatment of migrant workers and American attitudes about immigrants. Not only is the novel an exploration of these attitudes, but it also delves into philosophical questions about religion through Carlos's struggles with his Catholic faith and belief in God. The title is a hint of what is to come in Carlos's story with his crossing of many lines—physical, social, cultural, and moral. This is an intriguing story that explores the capacity of good, evil, and everything in between that exists within the human race.

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