The novel 鈥溾�� (St. Martin鈥檚 Press/2020) starts with a premise familiar to many North Carolinians: new residents moving into a historic community and putting up a brand new, giant house.
The Whitmans have just moved to Oak Knoll, a fictional suburb in our state. Their decision to raze all the trees on their lot to put in a pool for their newly-constructed house starts them on the wrong foot with neighbor Valerie Alston-Holt. The conflict deepens as a massive oak tree in Valerie鈥檚 yard starts to show signs of stress because of the nearby construction. And teenagers Juniper Whitman and Xavier Alston-Holt begin a budding romance that furthers the bad blood between the families. Host Anita Rao talks to author about how the real impacts of gentrification inspired her story about race and class.
