The paths of a streetwise orphan and a mentally ill soldier cross three times in a Mexican border town, forever changing the lives of both of them. Paulsen uses borders literally and metaphorically in many different ways, from the border running between Mexico and the U.S.A. which Manny dreams of crossing, to the sharp borders of clear definition which the sergeant purposely blurs with alcohol. Each of the characters is ultimately trapped behind the borders of his own ego; only when they both choose a split-second of compassion for each other is the key crossing completed. (Age 14 and older)