The Overstory

by Richard Powers · 2018

In *The Overstory*, Richard Powers weaves together the lives of nine strangers whose fates become inseparably bound to the hidden world of trees. From a photographer inheriting a century‑old portrait of a dying chestnut, to a Vietnam‑era Air Force crewman rescued by a banyan, to a deaf scientist who discovers the secret language of forests, each narrative unfolds like a ring in a great, living tree. As their personal stories intersect, they awaken to the profound interdependence of humanity and the natural world, confronting a looming ecological catastrophe that demands collective action. Powers crafts a lyrical, urgent novel that is both a celebration of the silent, resilient life of trees and a rallying cry for environmental stewardship.