I did enjoy this offering from Tom Allen, though not quite as much as I’d hoped. I couldn’t shake the feeling that it would have landed even better as an audiobook, read by Tom himself, because his voice and rhythm are so clearly woven through the story. On the surface it’s about a group of residents banding together to save an old oak tree, but there’s so much more happening beneath that premise — layers of personal struggle, community tension and the quiet ways people try to do the right thing. Oak Drive is a small road opposite a little park with a very old oak tree at its heart. The residents keep an eye on one another, so when the council announces plans to turn the park into an electric charging station — removing the ancient oak in the process — they rally together. But nothing on Oak Drive is quite what it seems. Donald, the self appointed ruler of the road and dictator of his long suffering wife Fanny, is hiding more than anyone realises. Alice, the local doctor, has fallen out of love with her husband Barry, and he’s floundering as he tries to fix what he doesn’t understand. Vince and Nathan Luke, the new couple on the street, have poured themselves into creating their dream home, but they too are carrying secrets. And Miranda, the sweet elderly lady of the close, may not be quite the harmless figure everyone assumes. In the end, what stood out most for me was the blend of gentle humour and the very human messiness behind each closed door on Oak Drive. Tom Allen captures the quirks, flaws and quiet heartbreaks of his characters with real warmth, even if the story didn’t fully land for me in the way I’d hoped. It’s a thoughtful, often tender look at the small acts of kindness and courage that hold a community together, especially when hidden truths surface and ordinary people find themselves making a difference.

Once I got over the fact that maybe this guy's sense of humour doesn't quite match mine - especially wrt the crass joke he pulls very early on I had a better time once the story really got going. We meet the inhabitants of Oak Drive - just 4 houses situated by a small park complete with the eponymous tree, a community centre, local shop and hairdressers. Three of the houses' occupants have lived there for a while, but there is a new couple on the block, Vince and Nathan Luke, and everyone wants to know their background, and involve them into the community. Meanwhile we also get to know Miranda who although getting on in years, is still young at heart and has a bit of a wild past. Then there's Fanny and Donald - chalk and cheese. He's a bit of a bully all told. Finally, we have Barry and Alice and their two kids. They are going through a bit of a sticky patch in their marriage. The usually ticking along, not really trying stuff... But then there's a note from the council planning department informing them of a new development which threatens both the park and their peace, as well as the tree! Will this be enough to unite and ignite our characters into action...? The focus of the book switches between the four households so you meet them and get to know them gradually. Maybe too gradually. I think for me the focus switched too often and too soon and, as a consequence, I didn't feel I bonded with any of them properly. And they all went through quite a lot of change as the book developed, most of which felt forced rather than natural. Despite the main trigger being the threat to the park and tree, I though it all happened too coincidentally to be really believable. And cos it is a very character driven book, the characters have to be able to hold up the story and I don't feel they did here. The story itself flowed reasonably well and there were a few shocks and surprises along the way. But I felt that the ending felt a little flat and I didn't finish the book with much of a satisfied feeling. All in all, I think that this is probably a case of me as a reader not really getting on with him as an author. Some of the jokes hit home, other's fell quite flat, some even irked me a tad.