Bookstore owner Lydia lives in Acapulco. She has a son, Luca and a wonderful husband who is a journalist. And while there are cracks beginning to show in Acapulco because of the drug cartels, her life is fairly comfortable. And then a charming man enters the shop. Unbeknownst to Lydia, Javier is the jefe of the newest drug cartel. When Lydia's husband's tell-all profile of Javier is published, she is forced to flee. Soon, Lydia and Luca find themselves worlds away from their middle-class existence. Instantly transformed into migrants, Lydia and Luca ride la bestia--trains that make their way north toward the USA, which is the only place Javier's reach doesn't extend. As they join the countless people trying to reach el norte, Lydia soon sees that everyone is running from something. But what exactly are they running to?