The Avocado Tree

What's a boy to do when hindsight is 20/20? THE AVOCADO TREE is a coming-of-age memoir told from the adult vantage point of Shon Franklin, who on a quest for forgiveness, clarity, and resolve, recounts his seemingly normal eleven year old life, gone awry, circa 1984. Just when he comes to terms with his parent’s recent divorce, Shon’s mother, Sharon, leaves her parental obligations in Inglewood, California behind for the fast life back in her hometown of Chicago, leaving ex-husband, Earl Jr. to raise Shon and his two young siblings. Now a seemingly motherless child, Shon must learn to cope with abandonment, family misfortune, and congenital dysfunction, all while sorting through life’s formative lessons in love, sex, street ethics, and moral character.