The Groves by J.V. Lyon

For fans of campus novels from Tartt and McCarthy to Real Life comes this captivating debut novel following a diverse cohort of socially influential queer women students as they investigate the darker side of their picturesque New England college. Returning to rural Vermont for her senior year after time abroad, New Yorker Daphne Howard just wants to make it to graduation. She’s still processing the sting of her social circle moving off-campus under the thrall of Serena Vigil, a talented poet from Texas who happens to be Daphne’s nemesis. But when a gruesome story overheard at a local bar leads Daphne to consider an unusual artifact discovered on campus in a new light, friends, lovers, and others unite to confront the collision of present and past, political, and personal. The Groves introduces listeners to an unforgettable ensemble of characters: a college-hopping drifter whose journalistic instincts drive the group’s investigation, a Virginia equestrienne turned intersectional feminist, the only Black lesbian majoring in art history...and more make up this eclectic, sharp-witted cast. Through the shocks and revelations of one momentous year, these bright 20-somethings on the cusp of independence fall in and out of love, make plans and change course, and learn from each other what it means to be yourself. Please note: This production contains strong language and mature themes. Discretion is advised.