My Mostly Happy Life: Autobiography of a Climbing Tree

by Shelly Reuben, Ruth McGraw

Overview

Once upon a time, Samuel Swerling, a World War II veteran and inventor, decided to build a park. It would be filled with trees trained to grow in such a way that children could easily climb them. To this end, he bought bought two acres of land, hired Alonso Hannah, a one-armed arborist, and began to turn his dream into the reality. After five years, Alonso and Sam had created a small, privately-owned park in a big publicly-run city. Sam married Ghita, bought an apartment across the street from his park, and had five children. People fell in love at the Samuel Swerling Park. Painters painted pictures; dogs chased Frisbees; pretty girls basked in the sun; and time stood still. Most of all, though, children did what the park had been built for them to do: They climbed trees. The narrator of this book is one of Sam’s climbing trees. He thrives on human contact, and in his long and happy life, he has had few disappointments. Lately, however, he is being subjected to life-threatening injuries by Jarvis Larchmont, a power-hungry politician who was thrown out of the park for bullying when he was twelve-years old. Time passes. Sam’s grandchildren, particularly Esther Swerling, are now in charge of the park. Esther is young, beautiful, and like her grandfather, an inventor. She is also ferociously protective of her heritage. When a hurricane floods the area, she and her family provide food, warmth, and shelter in the park to those seeking refuge. At the same time, the City’s beloved mayor is hospitalized, and Jarvis Larchmont is put in charge of the Department of Parks. Still bitterly resentful at having been thrown out of the park as a child, he joins forces with ecco-terrorists to destroy Sam’s creation. Suddenly, our narrator and his fellow climbing trees are separated from people. Separated from all that they know and love. Separated from children. They cry…and they begin to die. Then Esther, her friends, and her family organize. And they fight back.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780988418165
Publisher:	BookBaby
Publication date:	04/27/2018
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	292
File size:	93 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Ruth McGraw is a San Diego artist and muralist who proudly served her country as a United States Marine. This is the first book that she has illustrated.

Table of Contents

1 Young Samuel Swerling 1

2 Birth of a Park 7

3 Pepita and Her Violin 11

4 What are they saying now? 17

5 The Transformation 25

6 Ethan's Best Friend 31

7 The Children's Garden 39

8 The Plan 43

9 The Birdcage, the Trowel, and the Moroccan Magic Box 45

10 Interrupted Interment 51

11 The Lily Pond 59

12 An Atmosphere of Enchantment 65

13 The Family Tree 75

14 A Period of Relative Calm 81

15 Esther and Meg Grow Up 87

16 Esther Meets Winston 95

17 Winston Settles In 105

18 The Matchmaker 109

19 Esther Falls in Love (But this time with a man and not a ferret) 115

20 The Return of Jarvis Larchmont 127

21 The Storm 131

22 Something in the Nature of a Haven 137

23 Cast of Characters 141

24 When the Lights Come on Again 149

25 A Benediction. A Blessing. A Home 163

26 Life Goes On 167

27 An Inexplicable Presence 171

28 Political Machinations 177

29 Violators Will Be Prosecuted 183

30 Photographic Documentation 197

31 Transcript of Television Interview 205

32 A Series of Short Fast Jabs 209

33 Dodging the Press and Hugging a Pillow 217

34 Survival is Not a Foregone Conclusion 227

35 The Covered Bridge 235

36 Reality Check 241

37 The Acting Mayor Takes Action 249

38 An Unexpected Gathering 253

39 The Laws of Nature 267