The new world: Bela Molnar, originally Hungarian, has lived in New York forthe past ten years. Eva Molnar, his sixteen-year-old cousin, is just arriving in theU.S. to begin a new life, and is forced to stay with WILLIE before travelling toCleveland. During this period WILLIE's preconceptions of EVA slowly change,and it is only as she is leaving New York that WILLIE is able to see her in hertrue light: a black sheep of the family, similar to himself.One year later: WILLIE and his best friend, EDDIE, are caught cheating in apoker game. On a whim, they decide to take their winnings , borrow a car,and visit EVA who is now living with the stern and stubborn Aunt Lotte in theharsh mid-western winter. After several days, WILLIE and EDDIE want to leaveagain.Paradise: WILLIE and EDDIE decide to kidnap EVA and take her to Miami fora vacation in Paradise . Once in Florida, the three stay in a run-down motelby the sea. From here on, things begin to fall apart: WILLIE and EDDIE losealmost all their money at the dog races, WILLIE begins to treat EVA badlyagain, and everything seems to go wrong. Confusion builds as EVA considersreturning to Europe, WILLIE and EDDIE win their money back, and WILLIEattempts to get EVA off a plane departing for Budapest. Connections aremissed, and in the end the three are accidentally separated from oneanother, and left to their own devises.