A Good Neighborhood Summary
Therese Anne Fowler

A Good Neighborhood Overview

A Good Neighborhood is a novel by Therese Anne Fowler. The story takes place in the fictional North Carolina suburb of Oak Knoll. Valerie, a black ecology professor, experiences turmoil after new neighbors move into the neighborhood. The new neighbors are a wealthy white family called the Whitmans. Valerie sues the Whitmans once she realizes their newly built swimming pool blocks the roots of Valerie’s beloved oak tree, causing the tree to decay. The lawsuit sets in motion a tragedy among the neighborhood, narrated in second person plural by the voices of the neighborhood itself. The novel explores themes of race, class, gentrification, and sexual assault.