THE PRESENT AND PAST INTERTWINE For Marco Alfieri, the repercussions of past mistakes have frozen him in place, wrapping him in guilt. But a healing gift is his first ray of light - and hope. It enables him to put his troubles aside to comfort a lost and grieving family that has literally landed on his doorstep. The unconditional love he receives from them gives Marco the strength and courage to begin to mend his own broken, estranged family. In the midst of all this turmoil, he's given a stack of cryptic letters that introduce him to legendary ancestors he never knew he had. The letters prompt him to board a plane to Spain in a quest to unravel the mystery of "The Six Gifts," their remarkable origin, and their enigmatic destiny. BERRIES is a tale about learning to embrace the virtue of forgiveness. And, like the gardens Marco learns to cultivate, he also learns that forgiveness grows in fits and starts.