Summary
The Overstory is a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Richard Powers offering a sweeping exploration of humanity's relationship with nature. Published in 2018, this epic saga interweaves the stories of nine characters whose lives become profoundly connected to trees. Along with his ability to blend scientific facts about trees with compelling human drama, Powers has won praise for the novel’s innovative structure, often compared to the rings of a tree.
Credited with revitalizing interest in eco-fiction, The Overstory has become a touchstone in climate activism circles and remains a powerful reminder of our interconnectedness with the natural world. A television series based on the novel is currently in development at Netflix, with David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, and Hugh Jackman serving as executive producers.
Plot
The Overstory follows the interconnected lives of nine Americans whose experiences with trees bring them together to confront the destruction of forests. The novel spans multiple generations and locations across the United States, weaving together diverse narratives that highlight humanity's complex relationship with nature.
The story begins with the Hoel family in Iowa, where a chestnut tree planted in the 1800s becomes a cherished family heirloom, photographed monthly for generations. As the narrative progresses, we meet Olivia Vandergriff, a college student who has a near-death experience that leads her to join environmental activists, and Patricia Westerford, a dendrologist whose groundbreaking research on tree communication initially faces ridicule. The lives of these characters, along with others, including computer programmer Neelay Mehta and Vietnam War veteran Douglas Pavlicek, gradually intertwine as they become involved in the environmental movement. Some, including Olivia, Nicholas Hoel, and Adam Appich, form a group that engages in eco-terrorism to protect old-growth forests. Their actions culminate in a tragic incident, with each member facing different consequences.
Throughout the novel, Richard Powers explores themes of interconnectedness, environmental activism, and the long-term impact of human actions on the natural world. The narrative structure mirrors the layered complexity of forest ecosystems, with human stories forming the “understory” and the overarching narrative of trees and forests representing the “overstory.” By interweaving scientific facts about trees with compelling human drama, The Overstory challenges readers to reconsider their relationship with nature and their role in preserving the world's forests.
Themes
Interconnectedness of all living things
Human impact on the environment
Activism and social change
Nature's intelligence and communication
Time and perspective across generations
Resilience and adaptation in nature
Conflict between human progress and environmental preservation
Setting
The Overstory spans multiple decades, encompassing significant environmental and societal changes in the United States. The narrative begins with the planting of chestnut trees in Iowa in the 1800s and progresses through the Vietnam War era, the environmental activism of the late 20th century, and into the digital age of the new millennium.
Geographically, the novel covers a vast expanse of the United States, with key settings including Iowa farmlands, California's redwood forests, and the Pacific Northwest. The story also touches on urban environments and academic institutions across the country. Powers pays particular attention to the old-growth forests of the West Coast, which become central to the environmental activism portrayed in the book.
Specific locations play crucial roles in the narrative, such as the Hoel family farm in Iowa, where generations photograph a single chestnut tree, and the protest sites in the Pacific Northwest during the Timber Wars of the 1990s. The novel also explores virtual landscapes through the work of character Neelay Mehta, a computer programmer who creates digital worlds inspired by forest ecosystems, bridging the gap between natural and technological realms.
Characters
Nicholas Hoel: A visual artist from Iowa whose family has photographed a chestnut tree for generations. After losing his family in a tragic accident, Nicholas becomes an environmental activist. He joins forces with Olivia to protect old-growth forests and engages in ecoterrorism. Nicholas ultimately becomes a drifter, creating environmental art.
Olivia Vandergriff: A college student who experiences a near-death experience that leads her to join environmental activists. She meets Nicholas and becomes a passionate defender of old-growth forests. Olivia is deeply committed to the cause and tragically dies during an act of ecoterrorism.
Adam Appich: A psychology student who becomes involved with environmental activists while researching group behavior. Adam joins the core group of eco-activists and participates in their radical actions. He is eventually arrested and sentenced to a long prison term for his involvement.
Mimi Ma: An engineer who becomes an environmental activist alongside Douglas Pavlicek. Mimi forms a romantic relationship with Douglas and is deeply involved in the activist movement. After the group disbands, she changes her identity and becomes a therapist.
Douglas Pavlicek: A Vietnam War veteran who survives a crash landing by falling into a banyan tree. He becomes an environmental activist but later works for the forest service. Douglas ultimately turns himself in to protect Mimi, betraying the cause by providing information that leads to Adam's conviction.
Patricia Westerford: A hearing-impaired dendrologist who discovers that trees communicate with each other. Initially ridiculed for her theories, she later gains recognition for her groundbreaking research. Patricia establishes a seed bank to preserve plant species and delivers a powerful message about saving the world before taking her own life.
Neelay Mehta: A computer programmer who becomes paralyzed as a child after falling from a tree. Inspired by the complexity of forest ecosystems, Neelay creates a virtual world and a series of influential video games.
Ray and Dorothy: A married couple whose story intertwines with the larger narrative. Dorothy contemplates leaving Ray but ultimately stays with him after he suffers a brain aneurysm, finding new meaning in their relationship and connection to nature.
Jørgen Hoel: Nicholas Hoel's ancestor who plants six chestnuts on his Iowa farm in the mid-1800s. Only one tree survives, beginning the family tradition of photographing it monthly.
Quick facts
The Overstory took Richard Powers four years to write.
The novel was inspired by Powers’s encounter with giant redwoods in California.
The author conducted extensive research on dendrology and forest ecology.
The Overstory won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
The Overstory was shortlisted for the 2018 Man Booker Prize.
The novel's narrative structure mimics the growth rings of a tree.
The character Patricia Westerford was heavily inspired by real-life forest ecologist Suzanne Simard.
The Overstory has been credited with revitalizing the eco-fiction genre.
Netflix is developing a TV adaptation with Hugh Jackman as an executive producer.
The Overstory is #24 on The New York Times's 100 Best Books of the 21st Century list.
About the Author
Richard Powers (1957-) is an acclaimed American novelist. He launched his literary career in 1985 with Three Farmers on Their Way to a Dance. Since then, he has published 14 novels, each delving into complex themes at the intersection of science, art, and human experience. His works have garnered numerous accolades, including the National Book Award for The Echo Maker in 2006 and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for The Overstory in 2019. Bewilderment, published in 2021, was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, while his latest work, Playground (2024), was longlisted for the same award.
Born in Evanston, Illinois, Powers spent part of his youth in Thailand before returning to the United States. He initially studied physics at the University of Illinois but switched to English literature, earning both his bachelor's and master's degrees there. He was named a MacArthur Fellow in 1989.
In addition to his writing, Powers has held teaching positions at the University of Illinois and Stanford University. He currently resides in the Great Smoky Mountains, where he continues to craft thought-provoking narratives that challenge readers to consider the complex relationships between humanity, technology, and the natural world.
