"Gold in the Garden" opens with a young girl at the funeral of her best friend. Worse than that, Kathy Jordan believes the death is her fault. In spite of being told not to go swimming and risk catching polio, the two had sneaked into the community pool one hot July day. After Susan's death from polio, Kathy is overcome with guilt and cannot face Susan's parents. Her only consolation is gardening with an elderly neighbor who helps Kathy understand how, like compost, good can come from mistakes, and the importance of forgiving oneself.