The difference between house and home plays a key role in Reyna’s memoir. As the book’s title suggests, Reyna dreams of having a home, and this dream drives her to work hard during and after college. The desire stems from not having a stable home as a child. Reyna grew up in a shack and spent years of her life parentless and in the care of her abusive grandmother. Reyna’s father left his wife and children in search of work in the US. His primary reason for leaving was to save enough money to build his family a dream house. He eventually built a modest, cinderblocks structure. By that point, however, his family had already fallen apart. One of his sisters now occupies the house, which stands as a sad reminder of what happened to the Grandes. When Reyna’s father builds a pergola over her patio, she realizes that although he built her two houses, only she can build herself a home.

Reyna purchases a house in South Central through a program offering favorable prices to teachers. The house is run-down and located in a crime-ridden neighborhood, yet Reyna turns it into a loving home for her and Nathan.