When Artie Avilis joins a KGB-led tour of his ancestral homeland, he expects to find answers about where he comes from. What he discovers instead could cost him everything he thought he could keep hidden.
Behind the Iron Curtain, identity is policed, desire is dangerous, and even private truths carry consequences. As Cold War tensions mount, Artie is drawn into a web of political and personal intrigue that forces him to confront what he believes, what he wants, and what he is willing to risk to live honestly in a world that demands silence.
Interwoven with Lithuanian folktales and fragments of found haiku, The Boy Who Loved Trees is a lyrical debut about longing, secrecy, and the quiet defiance of becoming oneself.
Winner, Arch and Bruce Brown Foundation Grant for Gay-Positive Historical FictionHonorable Mention, Bellwether PrizeDana Awards Finalist
For readers of Alan Hollinghurst, Colm Tóibín, and Anthony Doerr.