he Overstory is a novel written by Richard Powers that tells the interconnected stories of a diverse group of 9 individuals who are all connected to trees in some way.
One of the novel’s nine main characters, Plant Patty, epitomises the deeper feelings and traits trees have. In fact, trees are social creatures, caring for one another, communicating, learning, and trading goods and services; despite lacking a brain, trees are “aware.”
The book circles around the themes of interdependence, rebirth, consciousness, storytelling, and most importantly our relationship with trees.
Themes of The Overstory by Richard Powers
The novel has received widespread praise from critics and was even awarded the winner of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and reading it was an emotional rollercoaster for me. There were times it was slow moving but overall, it gave me feelings of helplessness, frustration, and somehow, hope.
I definitely applaud Powers’ ability to weave together scientific facts and the different individual characters’ storylines in a cohesive manner. The main theme of interdependence was also consistently present.
Things I’ve learnt
1. Trees look out for each other
They use scent signals to “talk”. Acacias, alert other acacias when hungry giraffes go stalking by. Douglas fir fuse roots with their own kind, creating an “underground welfare state” to feed and heal each other. It all allows trees to share an immune system that can span acres of woodland.
2. Trees can seduce and deduce
Certain species “bribe” us, pumping out airborne chemicals that leave us feeling good after we pass them in the woods. These chemicals also have antibacterial and anti-fungal properties and breathing them in boosts our production of the white blood cells that help keep us healthy.
3. Trees don’t have immediate gratification issues
A tree’s seed can lie dormant for millennia, as happened with the 2000-year-old Judean date palm seed found in King Herod’s palace at Masada, and has since germinated. For trees, we humans are still new arrivals in this world.
4. We need trees
“There’s a tree for every purpose under heaven.”
There are trees that make rain, tell the time, and predict the weather, as the world’s indigenous peoples once knew. Ingredients derived from trees feature in products from shampoo and shatterproof glass to toothpaste, and ice cream thickener, but they’re also a vital ally in our fight against flooding pollution, and illness.
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Overall, the book did attempt to bring its characters together around a central point (a giant redwood tree). However, it was a ⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars for me because not all 9 characters were strongly developed and I couldn’t appreciate their developments throughout the book. The book did not really ask anything of its readers or give us much to ponder about.
However, there’s no denying that Powers can explain scientific ideas powerfully and managed to eloquently write about the interdependence of trees.
I would recommend this if non-fiction environmental books get a little boring for you, or if you want to get to know the fundamentals of the ecosystem of trees.
Rating: ⭐️️⭐️️⭐️️
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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Photo credit: The Chubby Honu(Author)