Gonzalo
- Our new narrator is a dude named Gonzalo. He's a teenager who moved to Cleveland from Guatemala with his dad. Eventually, his mom, brothers, and Tío Juan (his mom's uncle) move, too.
- Gonzalo tells us all about how his theory on age: "The older you are, the younger you get when you move to the United States" (4.1). This means that Gonzalo's great uncle and dad act younger. And sometimes Gonzalo acts more like an adult. Plus, Gonzalo is the most fluent in English, so he helps his dad out when he wants to shop in English-speaking stores.
- Gonzalo's great uncle, Tío Juan, likes to go wandering. One day, Gonzalo realizes Tío Juan has moseyed on away from home. Eventually, Gonzalo finds him at the vacant lot where some people are trying to garden.
- In fact, Gonzalo recognizes this one guy with a shovel who used to be the janitor at his school. He doesn't give us a name, but we're figuring this dude is Wendell from Chapter 3.
- So Tío Juan is trying to give some gardening advice, but he's having a tough time because he doesn't speak English. But that doesn't seem to dampen Tío Juan's excitement. The next day, he and Gonzalo go back to the lot and Tío Juan picks a spot to start his own little garden.
- Turns out Tío Juan is a super amazing gardener. He used to be a farmer in Guatemala, and the guy hasn't lost his green thumb. In fact, Gonzalo realizes just how smart Tío Juan is.