Ofelia Alma Zamora was named after her grandmother. She is 11 years old. Ofelia is sick with an ailment that no one can diagnose or cure. She wonders if her illness was caused by the evil eye. She lives with her grandfather in a small village, and on this particular morning, they are going to Albuquerque on their monthly supply run. Ofelia used to wish that they lived in the nearby community of Estancia because it is larger than their tiny hamlet, but her grandfather once explained to her that their ancestors were among the first people granted land in this area. She realizes now that their roots in this place run deep and that they will continue to live here until the town itself dies out. Ofelia’s mother left them both seven years ago, and although Ofelia’s grandfather has tried to explain that her mother was too young to take responsibility for a child, Ofelia still misses her. Occasionally, she will catch sight of her mother somewhere, and she always observes the woman in quiet fascination.

Ofelia is sure that the evil eye is going to kill her, and she does her best to enjoy the routine of her days with her grandfather.