Greta Thunberg and her army of environmental activists have, so far, succeeded in raising awareness about the consequences of climate change. The media has quickly picked up the call for action: our planet is dying; what will you do about it? Contemporary fiction has similarly branched its way into environmental advocacy. The Overstory by Richard Powers, a New York Times bestseller and the winner of the Pulitzer Prize, narrows its focus onto the concept of trees. Trees—ever-growing, moving, and communicating, and which once formed beautiful and life-giving forests—are now diminishing at an unimaginable rate.
The Overstory is composed of four main parts. The first part, “Roots,” introduces nine main characters. Diverse in culture, personality, and background, they are marvelously sketched characters: imperfect, passionate, fearful, and somehow incredibly real. Despite their differences, however, the nine adults share a central characteristic that eventually brings them together: a connection to trees.
Nicholas Hoel, after a family tragedy occurs overnight, takes the family treasure—a photo flipbook of a chestnut tree—and retires into what he calls “tree art”. Mimi Ma is a Chinese-American girl growing up with the odd stories her Chinese father tells her and her sisters. Adam Appich, connected to his maple tree since birth, struggles with the world’s disbelief of his scientific discoveries. Ray Brinkman and Dorothy Cazaly are proof that while opposites may attract, there are many consequences to marrying your polar opposite. Douglas Pavlicek crashes into a banyan tree and loses a leg, yet he steadfastly plants young trees, unaware of the consequences he’s creating. Neelay Mehta is a brilliant and physically impaired Indian game designer, replicating the real world with computer graphics. Patricia Westerford is a scientist struggling to communicate with humans, but who has no trouble doing so with trees, from whom she hears an urgent message. Finally, Olivia Vandergriff is introduced: a bratty, aimless undergraduate who fatally touches an electric socket with a wet hand one night.
The growth and change of these characters are, admittedly, shown quickly, like a time-lapse. This makes sense, however, seeing that a human lifetime is only a tiny fraction of that of a tree. Whether the characters grew up taking photos of a tree, inherited a ring with one, or were brought back to life by one after being electrocuted, they are a vibrant, flawed band of activists, willingly poised to protect trees from their ultimate extinction, and very soon, our own.
The Overstory is a stunningly written literary work spanning an incredible range of cultures, sciences, and stories while staying true to its ultimate focus on trees and their magic. It is an unfiltered portrait of human violence and recklessness, as well as human beauty and determination. This novel is a must-read in today’s impulsive, deeply divided world. With dry wit and sarcastic humor concerning modern problems, it is a rewarding and intelligent read for young adults today.
(Published in The Sequitur, April 2020, Westdale Secondary School, Hamilton, ON)
