Mimi is a writer and when she finds that some of her favorite words for natural things, such as wren, violet, and dandelion, are disappearing she appoints her granddaughter, Brooke, as the keeper of wild words, and shows her how to bring them to life by knowing, appreciating, and using the things they stand for.

In this story that is at once an education on pecan farming and a reminder of the importance of family histories and legacies, a young girl's grandfather plants a pecan tree when she is born and then teaches her how to care for it throughout all the seasons of the year. Includes pecan facts.