Elaine is a spunky eight year old, living with her Mom, Dad, and three half-siblings as one of the only Puerto Rican families in the welfare projects of Brownsville, Brooklyn, in 1980s New York City. Her best friends are her intellectually disabled aunt, Elizabeth, and her musically gifted, salsa-loving father, Manny. Elaine idolizes her father and is incredibly proud that she has inherited his artististic ways. Through Elaine’s young eyes, life is perfect. But everything comes crashing down when she discovers a tragic truth that will affect her life forever.
