"My mother says that charm bracelets are family histories that you can wear on your wrist -- each charm is a miniature, 14K memorial to family, passions, and pastimes."

--Kathleen Oldford

Charm bracelets are popping up in fashion magazines and on celebrities' wrists, signaling a hot new trend. However, charms are not simply whimsical trinkets -- they are deeply personal pieces of jewelry, often family heirlooms passed down from mother to daughter.

All that glitters may not be gold, but in the case Kathleen Olford's wise and enchanting new gift book, My Mother's Charms (HarperSanFrancisco; Hardcover; $18.95; April, 2002), the gems that await the reader do indeed seem woven out of gold. Like millions of devoted collectors, Oldford's mother has always believed that charm bracelets are family histories you can wear on your wrist.

Based on four charm bracelets that belonged to Oldford's grandmother, mother, aunt, and sister, each chapter celebrates the memories and tells the story of the loves, passions, and perspectives of these women -- one charm at a time. These bracelets and musings commemorate the power behind women's stories and the joy that comes from remembrance. My Mother's Charms is a book to treasure and share, for mothers and daughters, aunts and nieces, and girlfriend to girlfriend