The Chinaberry Tree: A Novel

Stories are told freely at The Chinaberry Tree bar—fiercely, and without permission.

A young white narrator arrives to listen, document, and preserve the lived experiences of Black men and women whose voices are too often overlooked. But observation quickly becomes entanglement, and the line between witness and participant begins to blur.

In bars, living rooms, and late-night conversations, language is raw, humor cuts deep, and truths resist easy interpretation. The narrator is pulled into a world that challenges not only what he hears—but his right to hear it.

An unapologetic work of literary fiction by Jerome Saintjones, The Chinaberry Tree confronts race, power, and the uneasy boundaries of storytelling. With provocative dialogue and emotionally charged encounters, it asks: Who owns a story—and what does it cost to tell it?

Narrated by Jeremy Michael Durm, whose nuanced performance brings depth and immediacy to every voice, this 6-hour listening experience immerses and unsettles in equal measure.

A 2025 American Fiction Awards finalist and multiple award winner, this debut is already gaining early distinction.