An internationally lauded poet/novelist announces that she is going to end her life and that young male writers may compete to become executor of her estate. The man who wins will inherit her home, land, books, unpublished manuscripts, and be expected to protect and promote her posthumous reputation.

The wealthy Mexican-American Arista family hires a new white handyman, Don. Don, mentored by veteran groundskeeper Mike, labors at the ranch for months and comes to learn that something unusual is going on there, something having to do with the patriarch Henry's well; the water level keeps going down even when it rains. Meanwhile, Don has become enamored with the daughters of the family, Ximena and Tania, especially Tania. One night, Don and Henry chase a group of thieves away from the well. Don becomes aware there may be something unusual about the water itself. Henry orders Mike and Don to hire a crew and build a giant wall around the ranch to thwart future thieves. This action leads to an altercation between the nearby mostly white town and the Mexican-American family. It also leads Don to insatiable curiosity about the well and to actions with major consequences.