First published 2021
Valerie Alston-Holt teaches forestry and ecology while raising her biracial son Xavier in Oak Knoll, North Carolina. Xavier excels in school and plans to attend college in the fall. Their peaceful neighborhood life changes when the Whitman family moves next door. The Whitmans tear down the existing house and cut down trees to build an elaborate new home. They have recently acquired wealth and struggle with their troubled teenage daughter. Conflict erupts when the families clash over a historic oak tree growing in Valerie's yard. The dispute deepens when Xavier and the Whitman daughter begin dating. The property line becomes a battleground where issues of race and class collide. Both families must navigate their differences while their teenagers fall in love. The story examines what it means to be neighbors when people come from different worlds and hold opposing values.
Genres: literary-fiction, contemporary, social-issues, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Oak Knoll, North Carolina
Period: 21st-century
336 pages · Paperback · St. Martin's Griffin
Content warnings: racism, sexism