Jessie travels back to the magical world of the Realm to try to discover what has gone wrong in the Hidden Valley where the gnomes live and the fairy-apples grow.
In 1881, when their apple tree is felled by a storm just before Christmas, a young farm girl and her family discover that the tree was important to each of them for different reasons.
Describes an apple tree as it grows leaves and flowers and then produces its fruit, while in its branches robins make a nest, lay eggs, and raise a family. Includes a recipe for apple pie.
Emily says "Yuck" whenever apples are mentioned, but when she and her older brother, Harry, sleep over at their grandparents' house, they all pick apples and make them into delicious pies.