Ten Elephants Ten Memories

Growing up, Cate Kingston enjoyed frequent visits to eccentric Aunt B at her rambling summer home, Chartres. Aunt B’s collections of costumes, miniatures, dolls, and men’s pipes mesmerized a wide-eyed, shy Cate, but nothing enthralled her more than the thrilling, exotic stories that Aunt B shared about how these precious possessions came to be hers. After telling ten-year-old Cate a suspenseful tale of how she came to possess the mysterious ebony and ivory elephant family that adorned the large hall fireplace, Aunt B declared it was time for Cate to start an elephant collection of her own. You’ll see, Cate, those who love you will want you to remember them and the time you spent together, Aunt B told her, and in the years that followed her prediction would come true. Through ups and downs, Cate’s elephant collection continued to grow, always reminding her of those precious memories from an unexpected life.