First published 1956
Collin Fenwick finds himself caught between two worlds in 1930s Alabama. His elderly cousins Dolly and Verena couldn't be more different. Dolly creates folk remedies and sees magic in everyday moments. Verena runs the household with stern efficiency and dreams of business success. When Verena tries to commercialize Dolly's dropsy cure, the gentle sister rebels. Dolly packs her belongings and heads for the old china tree in the woods, with Collin and their housekeeper Catherine following close behind. From their leafy refuge, the unlikely trio watches as the town below erupts in conflict over their disappearance. Verena demands their return while neighbors choose sides. The tree becomes both sanctuary and battleground as Collin discovers what family really means. This tender story captures the moment when childhood ends and the adult world intrudes, but also celebrates the misfits who refuse to surrender their dreams.
Genres: literary-fiction, american-fiction, 20th-century, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, lyrical
Tropes: found-family, misfits
Setting: Alabama
Period: 1930s
216 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Berkley