In this daring debut novel, Kaitlyn Greenidge tells the story of the Freeman family, who move to a research institute in rural Massachusetts to participate in a mysterious experimentraising a chimpanzee, Charlie, as part of an effort to teach him human sign language. But as their involvement deepens, long-buried questions about race, history and science begin to surface.

Told through the voice of teenage Charlotte Freeman, the novel explores identity, belonging, and the complex legacy of racial experimentation in America. As Charlotte grows more suspicious of the motives behind the experiment, the family’s idealistic hopes clash with painful truths, and secrets from both the past and present begin to unravel.