The Chestry Oak is an inspiring story about Michael, a young Hungarian prince who begins a new life in America after his family is killed during World War II. Like Seredy's other novels, it has a strong anti-war theme, both in the depiction of the cruelty, upheaval, and destruction caused by the Nazi occupation of Chestry Valley and in the implied message that people of good will can get along regardless of ethnic or cultural differences.

In a sense, the story is a parable about the hopes and dreams of all European immigrants who viewed America as a "land of opportunity," where people could make a new start. Through all the changes in his life, Michael carries the symbol of hope, an acorn from the great Chestry oak in his native valley, which he hopes to plant in American soil.