Mario, an underfed, underprivileged, underdog shoeshine boy from the foot of Machu Picchu thinks he has no future, until he meets one American family that changes everything. Despite the degrading poverty in which he's mired, Mario matters. The space he occupies, his values, his innate genius and foibles—they matter. His story mirrors that of Sonrisa, who lives in an upper middle-class American suburb. His perspective on life, death, loss, and grief parallels hers and as Mario grows from a burdened child into a rock-solid embodiment of everything any of us could hope to be, he reminds us of the bounty of gifts embedded in humanity. Based on a true story, Mario's struggles resonate with us, helping us learn that we, too, matter.
