Manolo leads a simple life in the south of Spain. He has two loves: his animals, in particular his donkey Gorrión (“Sparrow”), and taking long wanders through nature. Against the advice of his doctor, he decides to plan one last walk by re-tracing the Trail of Tears, a brutal forced 2200-mile trek through the Native American Cherokee Nation. Even though the United States is a very far and ambitious journey to make on foot, Manolo wants to take his favorite walking companions, Gorrión and his beloved dog, Zafrana. But how to overcome the small obstacle of transporting a donkey, Manolo’s chronic arthritis, a history of heart attacks, and Gorrión’s fear of water? As their adventure continues, Manolo’s wondrous friendship with his animals finds a beautiful equilibrium, man and beast intrepidly braving the harsh landscape together. Will they find the American West? More importantly, will they be able to see life as it is, and not as it should be?