Paquetteovi vode farmu mliječnih krava u Vermontu, ali prijeti im gubitak farme nakon očeve nesreće. Obitelj Cruz je iz Meksika i emigrirala je u Sjedinjene Države u potrazi za boljim životom. Priča je ispričana kroz oči dvoje 11-godišnjaka, Tylera Paquettea i Mari Cruz. Ova važna knjiga pomaže studentima da izgrade dublje razumijevanje imigracije i radnika migranata te kako prijateljstvo može razbiti stereotipe i izgraditi mostove prema boljem svijetu.
Mjesto radnje je najvažnije vrijeme i mjesto. Studenti mogu koristiti kartu postavki za ilustraciju različitih postavki u knjizi i u okvir za opis upisati kratki opis svake od njih.
Storyboard Tekst
RETURN TO SENDER: SETTING
LAS MARGARITAS, MEXICO
PAQUETTE FARM, VERMONT, USA
AUNT ROXIE & UNCLE TONY'S APARTMENT: BOSTON, MA
CRUZ APARTMENT, NORTH CAROLINA
The Cruz family is from Las Margaritas, Mexico, which Mari describes as being in the south of Mexico. Her grandparents and Tio Armando's family still live there. Mari, her parents, Tio Armando, and Tio Felipe went to the United States to try and have a better life and to be able to work and send money back to their family in Mexico.
The Paquette family live on a dairy farm in Vermont. The farm has been in their family for generations and Tyler describes it as his favorite place in the world. They raise cows for milk and also grow grains in the fields to be able to feed the cows.
Aunt Roxie and Uncle Tony live in an apartment in the city in Boston, MA. Tyler spent time with them there at the beginning of the story and Mari and her mother take refuge there toward the end. Aunt Roxie and her husband Uncle Tony work out of their apartment running a party planning business.
The Cruz's lived in an apartment in North Carolina when they first came to the United States. They had found intermittent work there as farm laborers. Ofie and Luby were born in North Carolina and thus are American citizens.