Maria is a young lady growing up as a poor Mexican-American with only her widowed mother and siblings.  Although they lived a rough life, she dreamed of having a big birthday party for her fifteenth birthday, which is also known as a quincenera.  This was something all girls in her culture looked forward to.  Trying to have strength to move forward and not lose faith in her dreams was sometimes hard on cold, hungry days. But she knew that with the love she and her family had for each other, her dreams were not only in her heart, but also in the hearts of her family. With laughter, tears and self-creativity, they all made her dream come true.