A Mexican fairy tale reworked and retold by one of my favorite story tellers. At its heart, it is a story about the evil that comes from wealth, but it's also a story of the perils living in a society rigged against you. But is the novel saying that there is no way out for Kino and Juana? There is no way to fight the system, because it will screw you over? I don't think that's the intended message, but it lends itself to an interesting discussion.