The Book of Unknown Americans: Chapter 7: Alma Summary & Analysis

Maribel undergoes a series of evaluations and tests with psychologists and education specialists. Alma is interviewed, too, and is asked about Maribel’s developmental history—Alma, frustrated, reminds the experts that Maribel is only the way she is “because of the accident.” Eventually, the district agrees that Maribel’s traumatic brain injury—albeit mild—is enough to warrant admission to the Evers School. Alma is overjoyed, but after Maribel’s first day of school, Maribel is as flat and emotionless as ever. Arturo urges Alma not to grow impatient.

Maribel’s school reports do not improve—her teachers describe her as “unresponsive and unengaged.” Alma attempts to help Maribel with her homework, which seems to be aimed at getting Maribel to identify feelings and emotions. Maribel struggles, and cannot keep up with the assignment.

Alma busies herself during her long days home alone cleaning, watching television, and cooking familiar foods. She calls her parents from her prepaid cell phone, but hearing all their good news from México makes Alma feel sad that “life [is] going on without [her.]”

Alma has received many visits from her new neighbors—Quisqueya Solís brought cookies, and Nelia Zafón and Ynez Mercado also dropped by to welcome Alma and to tell her to call on them if she needed help. Ynez, after learning that Maribel, Arturo, and Alma have all been sleeping on the same mattress, brings over a sleeping bag for Maribel to use.

Alma visits the laundromat and the Mexican grocery store, and sometimes she goes to church to pray. She visits Celia Toro, whom Alma sees as glamorous compared to her friends back in México. Celia gives Alma a list of things she will need for winter, and suggests Alma visit the Community House, a local resource which offers immigrant services. Celia and Alma discuss their reasons for leaving their respective home countries, and marvel together at “what parents will do for their children.”

Bored of her usual activities, Alma decides to go to Community House one morning. When she arrives, a receptionist asks her if she has come for the English class—though this wasn’t the original purpose of her visit, Alma decides to sit in on the class, excited by the idea of being a student again. The teacher, Mrs. Shields, tells the class that she will talk mostly in Spanish during their early sessions, but that as the course goes on and their understanding of English deepens, she will speak in English most of the time. Alma is put off at first by Mrs. Shield’s enthusiastic attitude, but she enjoys the class and marvels at the differences between English and Spanish.

Mrs. Shields passes out Spanish-to-English dictionaries at the end of class, and on the bus home, Alma becomes lost in its pages. She misses her bus stop and begins to panic as she realizes she is in an unfamiliar part of town and has just twenty minutes to get home to meet Maribel’s bus as she arrives home from school. Alma gets off the bus at the next stop and stands in the rain waiting and waiting for a bus or a car. She tries calling Maribel’s school, but cannot page through her dictionary fast enough to translate what she wants to say, and the school hangs up on her. Eventually, a bus arrives and after verifying that her stop will be on the line, Alma boards it.

Alma, panicked, arrives back at the Redwood Apartments, searching for Maribel everywhere. She finds her with Mayor Toro, in the hallway outside the Toros’ apartment. Mayor assures Alma that everything is okay. Alma is relieved and grateful that Mayor found Maribel because “as boys [go,] Mayor [seems] harmless.”