Arriving at an island resort, Scott and Kate make the acquaintance of an older couple, the Griffins, already tanning on the beach. When Scott agrees to do the Griffins a favor, he sets in motion a series of encounters and dilemmas—both between the two couples and within them. Scott believes it will be an adventure; Kate doesn't like the sound of it. There's something mysterious about the situation. Everyone's language hides secrets. Relying on the rhythms of poetry, Palms Are Not Trees After All is a story about exploration and accommodation, about deciding which stories travel, which to tell.

Winner of the 2007 Clay Reynolds Novella Prize

"Spoiled, rich, young and apparently good-looking, Deal's characters have very little to recommend them as people, but somehow they come across as deeply genuine and likeable folks. That's hard to do, but it's pulled off here with alacrity. In addition to this, there are elements of suspense, an astonishing ability to handle stasis without allowing things to stagnate, and an element of mystery that drives the whole thing forward. Beyond even that is the evenness of the voice, which is virtually a monotone, non-intrusive but, somehow, involved. This has the feel of a quality Woody Allen film or play, largely because of its spontaneity, its freshness. I also detect elements of Henry James."
—Clay Reynolds, Series Judge