In a brief prologue, a man named Abel runs across a vast, empty landscape in Walatowa, New Mexico, his body ritualistically smeared with ash and charcoal. As he runs, it’s as though he’s standing still. He feels “very little and alone” (9).

The inhabitants of Walatowa, New Mexico, work the land and treat the produce of their farms as “the gift of God” (11). Walatowa is an agricultural town, and the local farmers labor all through the summer. Abel is returning to his grandfather’s house in Walatowa after fighting for the US in World War II. Abel’s grandfather Francisco is a farmer. He drives his horse-drawn wagon along a road to San Ysidro and reflects on his life. For a moment during his journey, he pauses to check a traditional horsehair bird snare that he set at the side of the road. Although he wanted to catch a jay or a tanager, he caught a sparrow. He discards the bird and sets the snare again, hoping for the right bird, one with feathers he can use to fashion a prayer plume. Returning to his journey, he remembers a ceremonial race in which he once took part.