The novel takes place in a small town in the American South, where, after breaking up with her husband, the main character of the novel, Andy Colquhoun, comes with her 10-year-old daughter Hilary. The image of the Royal Oak runs through the entire novel - the patriarch tree of the local forests, symbolizing the power, beauty and immortality of the pristine nature of the South. Near him, the love of Andy and the forest hermit Tom arises, here her daughter gets rid of isolation and apathy, here they all find joy and happiness together.