A 14-episode edutainment telenovela which focuses on Jamie Gonzalez, a 17-year-old Hispanic-American girl who is studying in Queretaro, Mexico, on a scholarship for the summer. The series begins with Jamie telling the audience about herself and her family, including her bisabuela (great-grandmother), Doña Josefa de Gonzalez, La Catrina, whom she wishes to learn more about while in Mexico. Once she and her friend, Philip Armstrong, arrive in Queretaro, however, they find that her host family, the Navarros, have a teenage son, Carlos. Because his parents want to avoid a scandal, Jamie will instead live with the family of Carlos' friend, Maria Linares, who is the same age as Carlos, Jamie and Felipe.
Tropes that apply to this series include:
- Amoral Attorney: Don Silvestre's grandfather, who was La Catrina's lawyer, and slowly transferred all of her lands to himself and his family.
- Artistic License – Law: The trial in episode 13 is a solid example, without the testimony of any experts to test the testament's authenticity. Due process, what's that?
- Big Bad: Don Silvestre Aguilar.
- The Chew Toy: Santana can't win at anything.
- Corrupt Corporate Executive/Corrupt Politician: Don Silvestre.
- Dream Sequence: Jamie has one in episode ten, with Don Silvestre telling her to leave the matter of the will alone, and Josefa de Gonzalez telling her that she is La Catrina now.
- Funny Background Event: Santana, more often than not.
- Gender-Blender Name: Jamie (pronounced Jay-me) is mistaken for Jaime (pronounced Hi-meh), which is what causes her to be put with a host family with a teenage boy in the first place.
- Green Aesop: Carlos is studying ecology, and much of the conflict arises from Don Silvestre using illegal pesticides on la Hacienda de la Jacaranda.
- Good All Along: Well not all along, but Santana is working for Demetrio, rather than Silvestre, so the latter's Heel–Face Turn carries over to him.
- Heel–Face Turn: Demetrio, after Don Silvestre sends a robber to the library, which causes Demetrio to suffer an injury.
- Highly Visible Private Detective: Santana. Played for Laughs.
- Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Felipe and Maria. He's at least head and shoulders taller than her.
- Identical Great Granddaughter: Jamie and La Catrina. Painfully obvious in Jamie's dream in episode ten, where the actress' braces are still visible.
- Knight of Cerebus: Things inevitably get more serious when Don Silvestre is around.
- Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain: Santana.
- Just Like Robin Hood: La Catrina.
- No Hugging, No Kissing: In spades.
- Oblivious to Love: Jamie's response to Felipe's advances on the train is worthy of note.Jamie: Oh, look! An aqueduct!
- Private Detective: Santana, who is also used as comic relief.
- Serenade Your Lover: Carlos serenades Jamie with the help of of a huge Mariachi band.
- Spexico: Also averted, see the California Doubling entry.
- Title Drop: Frequently.