A Good Neighborhood by Therese Ann Fowler. “This is a timely novel, one that had me by the throat from the very beginning. It's not a happy story, but while it'll break your heart, it's also searing and well-paced, and beautifully written. A Good Neighborhood tells the story of a widow named Valerie, who lives with her teenage son Xavier. Valerie, who is black, loves Oak Knoll, her neighborhood in western North Carolina, and while her house is far from grand, in her backyard is a very grand and very old oak tree. When self-made HVAC millionaire Brad Whitman purchases the lot behind Valerie and Xavier, he razes the house and builds a much larger one, damaging the roots of the oak in the process. Things get complicated when Xavier and Brad's stepdaughter Juniper get romantically involved, and when Valerie decides to sue. The novel is narrated by Valerie's neighbors ('we'), a device that lent an ominous Greek Chorus-style tone, and gave voice to the fellow residents of Oak Knoll, the pseudonymous 'good neighborhood.'"
