Maricela is 16, pregnant, and a Mexican immigrant, which she says means most people believe she should be burned at the stake. She herself wishes she was dead. Every night, she hopes for a miscarriage, though her parents are happy to welcome a baby. Forced to drop out of school, she has entered a GED program with three other girls and a caseworker named Penny. Penny signs the girls up to work at the community garden so that they can witness the miracle of life.

Maricela remains skeptical as she tends radishes and Swiss chard, which no one likes. Seven months pregnant, she hates bending and stooping almost as much as the dirt stuck underneath her fingernails. When Yolanda breaks a nail and curses, a woman lectures them on their lack of decorum. It is Miss Fleck, Maricela’s third-grade teacher. She recognizes Maricela immediately and peppers her with unwanted questions.

Maricela resents the garden and the gardeners—particularly the Haitian man who runs straight through her plot to cut his lettuce and the Puerto Rican boy who always flirts with one of Maricela’s pretty friends. One day, Leona hands her a bouquet of flowers, including goldenrod; Leona tells her a tea made from this will help her with her pregnancy.