Ash lives in a peaceful village in West Sussex with her partner, Jay and twelve-year old daughter, Tierre. A naturalist, not a natural leader; when plans for a new bypass are announced, threatening homes and an ancient oak tree, she is compelled to act. During a heatwave, against a backdrop of rising global temperatures, she gathers allies, including Hazel, the local vicar and Dora, a young dancer, to help stop the destruction.

How far will she go to save her beloved oak?