Iris (who goes by the name "Ira") and her family live on a beet farm in 1965. She is almost 12, which means she has only one last summer until she has to work with her older sisters on the farm. Due to the increased acreage of the farm this year, Ira's father hires a group of Mexican immigrants to help out with the farm. Among them is Oscar, a boy close to Ira's age. They spend the summer together, teaching each other many lessons along the way, while trying to overcome the prejudice that Oscar and his family experiences from the rest of the town.