The Jewelry Tree: A Childhood Memoir

Growing up in the 1960s was memorable, but even more so if you belonged to a family that grew its own backyard jewelry tree. Yes, you read that right. A tree made of jewelry. Money doesn't grow on trees, but on 13 Madison Road, jewelry does. Set in the sticky summer of 1969, The Jewelry Tree follows a young girl and her imaginative older brother, who turns their backyard tree into a magical source of shimmering treasures for the whole neighborhood by decorating it with their mother's costume jewelry. Inspired by a true, tender memory, The Jewelry Tree recalls the charm of a screen-free childhood where purple ice cream trucks played carousel music, vinyl records cost seventy-five cents, and neighborhood friendships ruled small-town afternoons. Told through the wonder of its curious and playful narrator, this story celebrates the joy of play, the power of imagination, and the special sparkle that childhood holds.