Antonio, Alejandra, and their friends come of age in a Venezuela ravaged by hyperinflation, hunger, and violent state repression. In the streets, ordinary citizens become escuderos, shield-bearers standing between protesters and armed forces. At home, medical emergencies, empty shelves, and impossible choices test the limits of loyalty, morality, and love.

For Alejandra, escape brings its own reckoning. After migrating to the United States, she must confront the trauma she carried across the border: survivor’s guilt, fractured belonging, and the haunting question of what, and whom, she left behind.

Through these interconnected lives, this powerful collection illuminates the human cost of national collapse and the courage of those forced to endure it. It is a story of sacrifice, displacement, and resilience, and of the stubborn hope that survives even when an entire country seems lost.