Joseph and Walter Simons are ambitious entrepreneurs who, in the late nineteenth century, launch the Simons Brick Factory in Southern California. With the help of a Mexican who teaches them everything he knows about making bricks, the brothers build a life for themselves on the backs of the Mexicans who work the kilns. In this sweeping historical novel, the Anglo brothers are pitted against their workers. Fearful of the unrest south of the border as the Mexican Revolution rages, the patrones strive to provide their Mexican workers with everything they need: homes for their families, a company store to shop in, a school for their children, and even a church to pray in. By the end of 1926, the brick factory is considered one of the most successful businesses of its kind. Simons, California, is a model company town and a perfect example of the benevolent exploitation and control of Mexican labor. As the brothers expand their business and their families grow, Anglos and Mexicans alike live through the Great Depression, earthquakes that put their livelihood at risk, and World War II. They watch as their Japanese neighbors lose their land and homes and are placed in concentration camps. And they learn about the rise of unions to protect workers rights. It's only a matter of time before even the Simons workers seek better wages and benefits.