In Chapter 1 Benitez introduces her protagonist, Remedios (La Curandera), whom she refers to simply as The Healer. Remedios walks along the seashore carrying el pico de pez espada, her prized swordfish beak, a totem that “helps her find those who have drowned” (3). On this day the beak leads her to a particular spot on the beach, and she waits for the sea to deliver a body. Around her neck she wears a pouch containing the magical charms that give her the power to hear the stories the sea tells. Cradling these ritual objects in her hands, Remedios sits patiently by the edge of the water, tasting the salt and listening.

Chapter 2 tells the story of Candelario Marroquin and his wife Chayo, who live in the seaside town of Santiago, Mexico. Chayo sells paper flowers to tourists, and Candelario has just been promoted from waiter to salad-maker at the upscale restaurant where he works. To celebrate his promotion, Candelario is painting his house door robin’s egg blue. The color is “an obsession for him” (3), whether he is gazing at the sea or at the stars surrounding the head of Our Lady.