"A sweeping, vibrant first novel following a family of Indian sharecroppers at the onset of World War I, revealing an unknown part of California history"-- 1914. Ram Singh arrives in the Imperial Valley on the Mexican border, reluctantly accepting his friend Karak's offer of work and partnership in a small cantaloupe farm. Fleeing violence in Oregon, Ram desperately longs to return to his wife and newborn son in Punjab, but is duty bound to make his fortune first. Along with Ram and Karak are Jivan and his wife, Kishen; and Amarjeet, a U. S. soldier, though the Valley is full of settlers hailing from other cities and different continents. . They struggle to farm in the unforgiving desert: just one bad harvest or stolen crop could destabilize a family. And as anti- immigrant sentiment rises among white residents, tensions finally boil over. -- adapted from jacket