The death of Jasmine's mother forces her to leave her familiar hometown in New York and travel by plane thousands of miles away to the city of San Diego, California to be reunited with a stranger, a man who calls himself her dad.

Jasmine's father is expecting to meet the exuberant lively little girl with rosy cheeks and sparkling eyes he left behind six years ago. Instead he is confronted with a fragile, pale, adolescent girl whose dark downcast eyes have lost their sparkle. He can not undo the past, although he wishes he could. How can he help his little girl, this wooden Pinocchio girl, to come back to life? How can he help her without pushing her over the edge?

A gradual transformation takes place in Jasmine as her father provides a safe place for her to live, works toward repairing their shattered relationship, and rebuilding her trust in him.

The warm sunlight, soft breezes and the blue green waters of the San Diego Bay bring color back into Jasmine's face and life into her soul. The natural beauty, live music, entertainment and people of Seaport Village and Coronado Island further awaken her mind and heart.

Periods of joy, pain and deep sorrow weave a thread in the lives of father and daughter and form a bond between the two of them that can not be broken.

   In the end Jasmine, the wooden girl, comes back to life.

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Podcast Interview with Chris Bridges News-JournalOnline in Datona Beach Florida http://www.nieworld.com/special/julie/author_interview.htm