The Overstory

One of the best fictions I’ve read that talks about aspects of the climate crisis with a well balanced amount of hope and dread. It left me feeling depressed about the reality of deforestation and its devastating effects, while also reaffirming my passion in ecological restoration.

I think this would be a great read for someone who isn’t as well-versed in environmental science, as long as they can make it through the sometimes overwhelming amount of tree metaphors intertwined throughout the narrative. Especially for those with religious and spiritual backgrounds, as there are a lot of sub-lying themes of spirituality within nature.

However, even for those who are not spiritual, Powers ensures the message is not “preachy” - rather he gets to the root of what connects us all to “nature”. Even if you don’t fully understand all of the messages and themes he’s trying to convey, the characters’ stories are incredibly entertaining nonetheless. I would like to give this one a second read.