ssing of time, guardians of myth and memory, metaphors of life. Each story in this collection has a tree of particular importance to its characters and their communities. These are tales of childhood and imagination, of migration and struggle, conflict and change. They are about specific places in Mexico, Nicaragua and the U.S., and real and imagined sites of cultural encounter, growth and adaptation. As the characters in these stories grapple with the forces of nature and the entanglement of human relationships, the trees are their companions and touchstones, reflecting, and at times shaping, the experience of their lives. These stories follow the roots and inner journeys of a variety of characters, while embodying a deep respect for the natural world around them and the power of its imagery to structure the meaning of their perceptions.