Hurricane Charlie strikes without warning, devastating Orlando and the treetop realm of Dreyland-a secret society of urban birds and animals. The desperate wildlife migrates to other neighborhood groves defended by hostile residents. Worst of all, the Winter Slayer, a specter with power over death, reigns supreme in the carnage and destruction. In this chaotic post-hurricane setting, we see the power of the Creator, and of family and friendship eclipsing death as two wayward squirrels, Notch and Fuzzy, encounter Reek-Lee, Spook and other dangerous predators while searching for Heaven on Earth-the legendary Nirvana tree. The story is told by Q, a wise old mother tree, and revolves around the three animals ruling in a Troika: Sage, a raccoon prophetess; Notch, the governor; and the regulator, a cat aptly called Dagger. They enjoy very long lives, in fact near immortality. But, after many seasons, a grudge between Dagger and Notch boils over into mortal combat, breaking the Troika, and releasing the Winter Slayer to claim what it's long been denied. More than a modern-day animal story, in Diary of an Oak Tree we time-travel from Dreyland, back to the magical Age of Oaks, where rebellious men fought nature itself in the Battle of the Valley of Nigh, changing the Earth forever. | Diary of an Oak Tree by James Cressler, Paperback | Indigo Chapters