Justine and Joseph long for something more than their childhood spent in a depressed trailer park with a neglectful mother and her abusive boyfriend. Their grandmother is their main caretaker, and she fills their imaginations and senses of adventure with tales of hidden jewels that belonged to their family. In this novel of childhood dreams, the two siblings embark on a journey that unravels their family's hidden past. With the help of a local research librarian and several other adults who are struck with the fascination of the children's missing inheritance, Justine and Joseph uncover the magic that only the truth of history can unveil.