The Overstory by Richard Powers

 

A female scientist who is scoffed at when her research shows that trees are in communication with each other and find ways to proactively help each other.  A Vietnam era pilot whose fall from his plane is broken by a banyan tree.  A young boy whose father plants a tree as each child in the family is born, grieves for the loss of the chestnuts.  A Chinese engineer whose father immigrated bringing a priceless scroll depicting trees is radicalized by the loss of a park outside her workplace.  A group of people who come together to fight for the few remaining redwoods and the lengths they go to in an attempt to save what they love.  An Indian boy whose fall from a tree leaves him paralyzed but whose creativity and computer programming skills make him a millionaire.  A Midwestern couple who fall in love at community theatre and who make a pact to plant something in their yard every year for their anniversary.

Richard Power's newest work is concerned with the environmental crisis the world is facing and the place that trees/forests play in reversing the damage and making a positive impact.  Through the life stories of a disparate group of individuals, he demonstrates how much of an impact the natural world has on human life and how cruel and shortsighted our interactions with it have been.  

This novel has garnered enormous praise.  It is the winner of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction as well as being shortlisted for the Booker Prize.  It is a New York Times Notable Book and a Best Book of the Year for such publications as the Kirkus Reviews, Time, Newsweek, Oprah, Washington Post and the Chicago Tribune.  Readers will be taken into an intricate plot that connects in astounding ways as each story emphasizes the reality of our environmental situation and the miracle of creation.  This book is recommended for readers of literary fiction.