First published 2009
Sarah Crowe escapes Atlanta and a failed relationship by moving to an isolated house in rural Rhode Island. She discovers an unfinished manuscript left by the previous tenant, an anthropologist who became fixated on an ancient oak tree growing in a barren section of the property. The gnarled tree connects to local folklore about supernatural forces and a history of documented deaths and accidents. Sarah begins writing her own account of the oak's dark past. The tree invades her dreams and dominates her waking hours. She sacrifices her physical health and mental stability to dig deeper into secrets that have been buried for centuries. The oak's grip on her mind tightens as she pursues a truth that was planted long ago.
Genres: literary-fiction, mystery, horror, supernatural, dark-fantasy, gothic
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: supernatural-elements, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Atlanta, Rhode Island
Period: 21st-century
404 pages · Kindle Edition · Roc
Content warnings: mental-illness