From the Amazon to America Lais, a native South American girl, has grown up in the fascinating Amazon rainforest, nurtured by her tribal culture, and living in harmony with nature. But the world is changing, and her jungle paradise is suddenly a target for exploitation and invasive disease. When an opportunity arises to save Lais from the illness that is ravaging her village, she and her parents make a difficult decision to send her out into the wider world of modern Brazil with Alfredo, a local man who is a friend to Lais' tribe. While she is with him, her intelligence and courage catch the attention of a wealthy American businessman who wants to adopt her. Lais knows that leaving home will be the hardest thing she will ever do, but she summons up all her courage in the hope that going to America will give her the opportunity to work toward preserving her heritage and improving life for her people when she grows up. And so, the most amazing adventure begins, as Lais is thrown into a world completely different from her own. Along the way, she will overcome many emotional and psychological challenges as she is confronted with culture shock and prejudices from people she meets. But Lais knows that it doesn't matter where people come from-what matters is who they are. As Lais' confidence grows, she sets her sights on the greatest prize of all: an education at America's best university. The Meeting of the Waters is a colorful, thought-provoking story, rich with integrity and humanitarian values.