The Overstory

Trees. It was a coincidence that I finished reading Richard Powers finely written novel titled, The Overstory, on Earth Day. Powers tells readers things about trees that most of us never learned in school, and as a result of reading this novel, I will never see trees in the same way again. He finds creative ways of conveying science, the importance of environmentalism, and a view of harmonious living while laying out an interesting cast of characters and their interwoven stories. The structure of this novel will delight close readers because it progresses in ways similar to how trees grow: a ring at a time. After five hundred pages, the whole forest is lush and diverse, and man’s time and place on this planet seems short and small. It takes a long time to realize how the stories are connected, as it may take a while to accept the notion that the lives of people and the lives of trees are similar. It demands a special writer to change our perspective about the world in which we live. Powers did that for me in this epic novel. Rating: Five-star (I love it) Click here to purchase The Overstory from amazon.com.