Under the sweet gum tree
(Book)

Ada Montgomery wants two things in her junior year. She wants to play her French horn, and she wants Greg Whitmore to fall in love with her. Ada comes from a dysfunctional home in the small Texas town of Sweet Gum Pass. Her father emotionally abuses her mother, and her sister can’t stand to be around. Ada never felt like she was important. During the summer, Greg notices her. They begin dating and for the first time, Ada doesn’t feel alone. She thought she had found her knight in shining armor. Turns out he was just like her father. Her friends try to make her see that this is not acceptable, but because of her upbringing, Ada sees this as normal behavior. Can she learn to love herself and stand up to Greg, or will she follow in her mother’s footsteps?