A selection of first sentences from new books, May 15

The tree stirred and the sound of the needles was sshh, sshh, sshh.

“A Country Road, a Tree,” a novel by Jo Baker

When I insisted on keeping the baby, Ned threw his hands into the air palms-forward.

“Sweet Lamb of Heaven,” a novel by Lydia Millet

A guy walks into Kentucky Fried Chicken and says, Gimme some chicken.

“Remarkable,” stories by Dinah Cox