MEET ME UNDER THE LIGHTS

In Fairfield, North Carolina, a baseball stadium sparks an intergenerational rift between two local families: the wealthy Crowleys and the Fultons, who are struggling farmers.

Almost 30 years ago, the Fultons and Crowleys built and briefly co-owned the town stadium—until the Fultons accused the Crowleys of using their financial clout to take ownership after the Fultons poured hours of labor into keeping the place running. This disagreement sparked a decadeslong feud. In the present day, rising high school senior Eliza Crowley resents her family’s notoriety in town. Eliza is a theater kid who plans to oversee the lighting for the community theater production of Romeo and Juliet. Reed Fulton, her former childhood friend, left Fairfield four years ago, but his grandad made a bet with Eliza’s dad—his team against the Crowley Cardinals. Whoever wins takes ownership of the stadium. And Grandad needs ace pitcher Reed on the new team he pulled together. When the pair reunite, romance ignites between them, but like Romeo and Juliet, they’re caught between love and family duty. Unlike Shakespeare’s tragedy, Miller’s debut ends with the healing of rifts. Reed’s and Eliza’s alternating first-person chapters open with quotations from baseball and theater icons that provide deeper insights into the young lovers’ feelings. The white-presenting leads’ dual perspectives allow for a sensitive exploration of class differences while reinforcing the belief that family and community are what matter most.

A home run for baseball lovers and theater kids alike.