Content Warning: This section of the guide contains themes of displacement and challenges of military family life, including references to military deployment in conflict zones, military weapons, and fatality.

One of Nestor’s most prized possessions is an old Army compass his father gave him before his first deployment. The compass is a symbol of Nestor’s relationship with his father. It also supports the theme of Finding One’s Place in the World as Nestor navigates his journey of personal growth.

Nestor carries the compass with him during moments he needs extra strength. He holds it at the start of the book as he unpacks and brings it with him as one of his few supplies for his first day of school. The compass represents Nestor’s feelings of being lost as he navigates life without his dad while his dad is deployed. Nestor tells the reader, “When I was little, I thought the red needle pointed to Dad instead of north. I would spend hours staring at the face, willing the tiny red arrow to swing toward me” (19). The compass also highlights Nestor’s coming-of-age arc. At the start of Chapter 19, Nestor holds the compass while wishing his dad could give him guidance for facing the tule vieja: “I wish he was here.