Madeline
The Overstory has won numerous literary awards including the Pulitzer Prize for literature and the National Book Award. Although it is a work of complete fiction, there are some themes in this book that ring true to real life. The book is all about trees and the importance of their existence. With the details, the intricate stories, and the beautiful writing, it is no wonder why this book was given as many awards as it did.
Premise of The Overstory
The story follows nine people in throughout their lives. Many of these stories start with the person’s parents. Of the nine, we meet Patty, a women who discovers that trees talk to each other and is made fun of and pushed out of the tree community until it is learned that she is absolutely correct and becomes the tree hero.
There is Olivia, who is a bit of a wild child, after an accident she becomes a new person and decides to protect the trees. And Douglas who was part of the famous jail Stanford study and later joined the military only to have a traumatic fall in Vietnam. Both these incidents have changed him for life. Neelay is next who is a computer genius from an early age and develops a computer game based on trees.
There is Dorothy and Ray who marry in the 70s. When Ray has a medical issue and is no longer able to walk or talk, they find themselves watching the trees out their window in the backyard and pondering them. There is Mimi Ma, a daughter of a Chinese immigrant and tree protester. Then there is Adam who has a tough childhood but becomes interested in phycology at an early age. And finally, Nick who inherits a farm with a large Oak tree, which he sells and becomes saddened by what happens to the tree.
These are all nine each with elaborate stories that start with a tree and end in the wonders of trees. The theme of trees is all over this book. From a tree planted for Mimi Ma (one of the nine) and her sisters to Neelay falling out a tree and winding up in a wheelchair the rest of his life.Many of the stories, both tree related and not, are based on real events that had happened and happenings I have heard about.
My Connection To This Book
There are multiple references to Northern California in The Overstory, where I have lived my entire life. There are multiple references to Fortuna, California including the University of Fortuna, which does not exist. How do I know? With a population of just north of 12,000, my mom is one of them. I spent the first eighteen years of my life living thirty minutes north of there.
There is also a part in the book where a handful of the nine main characters tree sit in this general area in Northern California. There was a time I remember when this was a common thing where I lived. Many people would climb trees and live in them to keep loggers from cutting them down. The most famous among them was Julia Butterfly in her tree, Luna. My mom also had the honor of climbing Luna to assist Julia with some dental care. My mom followed the two year story quite closely and therefore I was exposed to the story as well.
Final Thoughts
The Overstory is a book of tree magic; however, the gigantic tree magic might not be as fictional as one may think. It is not the same kind of magic found in Nevermoor or A Gathering of Shadows. This magic might not be so magical after all. There is much to uncover with this story with the branches stretching high to the sky.
