From: From Love, The Letters
To: Reader
Re: The Tree – Percival Everett
Delivery: Priority Mail
Dear Readers,
This was my first time reading Percival Everett, and honestly, I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
The book was recommended by one of the book girlies I follow, and all I knew going in was that it had some connection to Emmett Till and was considered historical fiction. That was enough for me. I picked it up and decided to see where it would take me.
What I wasn’t expecting was to laugh as much as I did.
Now, before anyone raises an eyebrow, let me explain.
The Trees deals with some incredibly heavy subject matter. There are racial tensions, political undertones, violence, revenge, and the lingering wounds of history. On paper, it shouldn’t be funny. And yet somehow, Everett manages to weave humor into the story in a way that made me laugh out loud more than once.
It wasn’t the kind of humor that takes away from the seriousness of the story. If anything, it made the message hit harder. The sarcasm, the absurdity, the way certain characters viewed the world—it all exposed just how ridiculous and dangerous prejudice can be.
At some point, I realized this wasn’t going to be a straightforward historical fiction novel. To be fair, there were several moments that could have tipped me off. The story constantly shifts beneath your feet. Just when you think you understand where it’s going, it takes another turn.
It’s part true crime, part historical fiction, part social commentary, and part something I still can’t quite put my finger on.
It wasn’t just the mystery itself. It was the fear.
The fear people carry because of the wrongs of the past.
The fear that grows from hatred.
The anger that remains when justice never truly arrives.
One quote in particular has stuck with me:
“We’re just so afraid of Black people in this county that we see them everywhere.”
For me, that line captures the entire novel. Beneath the mystery, beneath the humor, beneath all the chaos, Everett is forcing readers to confront the consequences of racism and the ways fear continues to shape people’s perceptions long after the original harm was done.
And then there’s the ending.
Listen.
I was fully invested. I turned the last page and immediately thought, Wait… that’s it?
Then I laughed.
Not because it was bad. Quite the opposite. It was one of those endings that leaves you sitting there, staring at the book, wondering what just happened and appreciating the audacity of it all.
I don’t want to give away too much because this is absolutely a book that is best experienced with as few spoilers as possible.
What I will say is this: if you’re looking for a traditional historical fiction novel, this probably isn’t it. But if you’re willing to embrace something strange, sharp, funny, unsettling, and surprisingly relevant, The Trees is worth your time.
This won’t be my last Percival Everett book.
From Love,
The Letters
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