Vida is a non-sequential collection of vignettes portraying the main character Sabina, who seems to be torn between her Latino heritage (her parents are Colombian) and Western culture (she is a U.S. citizen).
In “Lucho,” Sabina explains that she has always been feeling alone in her wealthy neighborhood because of her family’s ethnic background. After her uncle got arrested for killing his wife, her friends are not allowed to be with her anymore, so she feels even lonelier. She finds comfort in Lucho, who comes from a torn family but seems to be the only one to notice her. Because he wants to maintain his reputation as a bad teenager, they keep their relationship, which Sabina never seems to fully commit to, secret. Only when Lucho dies in a car accident does Sabina realize that she may have felt love.
“Refuge” is about Sabina being taken in by her guitar teacher Lou after 9/11. Lou patiently teaches Sabina how to play the guitar even late at night, even though Sabina considers herself unteachable. Her boyfriend at that time, Nico, keeps criticizing her for minor things, which eventually leads to their breakup.
In “Green,” Sabina learns about the death of Maureen, a girl who used to bully her at school. She recounts how years after high school Maureen tried to get help from her to deal with her anorexia. Sabina, however, never responded to Maureen’s cries for help.
“Desaliento” is an account of Sabina’s relationship with illegal immigrant Diego, who wants her to marry him so he can stay in the country legally. Even though she knows he sleeps with many other girls, she enjoys his company even when he starts dealing drugs. Eventually, he has enough money to move to Playa del Carmen, Mexico, and invests in a beach bar, fulfilling his life-long wish.
The chapter “Paloma” is named after Sabina’s picky aunt who she tries to get close to, or at least to get to know better. However, this desire does not seem mutual. Eventually, Paloma gets cancer but is able to beat it, so the family decides to visit Israel after her treatment. However, the cancer comes back after a few years, so Paloma has to be hospitalized. At her deathbed, Sabina tells her that she loves her, but Paloma simply waves her away.
In “Cielito Lindo,” Sabina cheats on her rich boyfriend Lucas with her ex called Star. Lucas considers Sabina more a trophy or an accessory than someone to have an emotional bond with, so she keeps cruising around with Star in Lucas’ Ferrari. The relationship with Star, however, ends after making love at the beach.
Eventually, Sabina meets Vida, who was brought to the U.S. under false premises and sold to a brothel. Vida’s story of escaping her prison with the help of a guard who escapes with her gives Sabina a new look on life. She realizes that she is responsible for making the decisions that lead to a better life, and that she should stop relying on others. Vida and Sabina decide to escape their lives immediately and drive all the way from Miami to Sabina’s parents in New York. Sabina’s father pays for Vida’s plane ticket to Colombia to fulfill her dream of going back home, while it is unclear how Sabina is going to continue her life.
The book ends with a chapter from Sabina’s childhood titled “Madre Patria,” where she describes a family trip to Colombia when she was seven years old. Even though she stays with her extended family, she seems detached from most of the adults and their culture. She does, however, enjoy the time she spends with her uncle Emilio, who brings the children to a salt mine where they lick a piece of salt rock, which symbolizes that they now carry a piece of their homeland in them. When it is time to go back to the U.S., Sabina’s father seems eager to return home, while her mother is heartbroken that she has to leave her family, which adds to Sabina’s cultural confusion.
