Fiction

Greenwood

Greenwood

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-05-13 09:51:26
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Michael Christie
  • ISBN：1912854996
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Summary

A spellbinding eco fable for fans of David Mitchell， Richard Powers， and Margaret Atwood。


Structured like the rings of a tree， this remarkable novel moves from a futuristic world in which only one forest remains to the start of the twentieth century， where two young boys survive a train crash， setting them on a path that will forever change their lives and the lives of those around them。

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Reviews

Caroline Grabenbauer ，

This novel is a Mother Nature masterpiece。 It is one of those books that you want to savor， so take your time with it （and curl up next to a tree！）。 The writing was so smooth， like slow churning butter， simply exquisite。 It's a multigenerational story that bounces between different decades （spanning anywhere between 1908 and 2038）。 The character development was so rich; I developed solid emotional attachments to all of the characters （except Jacinda; I did feel that the concluding 2038 chapter w This novel is a Mother Nature masterpiece。 It is one of those books that you want to savor， so take your time with it （and curl up next to a tree！）。 The writing was so smooth， like slow churning butter， simply exquisite。 It's a multigenerational story that bounces between different decades （spanning anywhere between 1908 and 2038）。 The character development was so rich; I developed solid emotional attachments to all of the characters （except Jacinda; I did feel that the concluding 2038 chapter was poor， but the rest of the book made up for that lackluster section）。 This book heavily focuses on the beauty that is trees， their souls， all of their depth 。。。 "Because people will always keep wood close: in our houses and on our floors， ceilings， and walls; in our trusted canes and our finest musical instruments; in our heirloom tables and old rocking chairs; and， most tellingly， in the very capsules that ease our journey into the ground。" This book stole my vegan， nature-loving heart。  。。。more

Linda ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Een chaotisch， langdradig en overdreven verhaal over een familie waarin in elke generatie wel extreme problemen spelen。 Het waren net te veel personages dat het fijn las en speelde over een heel erg lange tijd af。

Laura Hoffman Brauman ，

"Time， Liam has learned， is not an arrow。 Neither is it a road。 It goes in no particular direction。 It simply accumulates -- in the body， in the world -- like wood does。 Layer upon layer。 Light then dark。 Each one dependent upon the last。 Each year impossible without the one preceding it。 Each triumph and each disaster written forever in it's structure。 "Greenwood opens in the near future， when environmental conditions are so bad that there are few trees left anywhere， and Greenwood Island， loca "Time， Liam has learned， is not an arrow。 Neither is it a road。 It goes in no particular direction。 It simply accumulates -- in the body， in the world -- like wood does。 Layer upon layer。 Light then dark。 Each one dependent upon the last。 Each year impossible without the one preceding it。 Each triumph and each disaster written forever in it's structure。 "Greenwood opens in the near future， when environmental conditions are so bad that there are few trees left anywhere， and Greenwood Island， located off the coast of British Columbia is an eco-tourist destination for the wealthy。 The novel moves back and forth in concentric rings looking at 4 generations of the Greenwood family - from Jacinda Greenwood， a glorified tour guide on the island in 2038 going back to the childhood of her great-grandfather in 1908。 There are so many parallels in the story of this family to the natural world - how hardships and how they wear us down - sometimes destroying us， but sometimes making us stronger， how looking back at the results of hardships still doesn't give you insight into what actually happened - you can see the result， but you don't know the whys or the hows， how families are connected， even when they are at a distance from each other。 Greenwood is about what we gain from sacrifice and what we are willing to give up to protect what we care about。 It's about forgiveness and mistakes and reconciliation -- all wrapped up in truly exquisite writing。 If you like nature writing or multigenerational family sagas， this book will call to you。 If you like both， then it will sing。 。。。more

Hannah Rose ，

Special， memorable and atmospheric。 I could hear， smell and see everything described in this book。 Wonderful characters and an amazing， page turning narrative。 Highly recommended。 Definetly a book hangover kinda read。

Eileen ，

A magnificent saga that charts the lives of the Greenwood family from the Great Depression in the 1930s to the Great Withering 100 years later， a dystopia in our not too distant future。 A terrible blight has destroyed trees， devastated the environment and reduced humanity to unthinkable squalor in a toxic landscape。 The story unfolds through the lives of the Greenwoods， a family created by fate rather than blood ties， all of whom have a lifelong connection to the trees of the Northwest—as plunde A magnificent saga that charts the lives of the Greenwood family from the Great Depression in the 1930s to the Great Withering 100 years later， a dystopia in our not too distant future。 A terrible blight has destroyed trees， devastated the environment and reduced humanity to unthinkable squalor in a toxic landscape。 The story unfolds through the lives of the Greenwoods， a family created by fate rather than blood ties， all of whom have a lifelong connection to the trees of the Northwest—as plunderers， protectors and artists。 The complicated characters are beautifully developed， and all are broken in one way or another。 They’re all wonderful， but Everett was my favorite。 The writing is lovely， and the story is moving and thought-provoking。 It’s terrifying to think this could actually happen。 。。。more

Kathie Kuehl ，

This was an excellent book！！ It is primarily set on an island off the coast of British Columbia where rain forests and huge Douglas firs abound。 This is a generational story of the complicated Greenwood family who owns most of the timber on the island and also owns the prosperous Greenwood Lumber Co。 The story covers the years from 1904 - 2038， although not sequentially， which makes the reading a little more challenging as does the large cast of characters who keep reappearing。 Contemporary issu This was an excellent book！！ It is primarily set on an island off the coast of British Columbia where rain forests and huge Douglas firs abound。 This is a generational story of the complicated Greenwood family who owns most of the timber on the island and also owns the prosperous Greenwood Lumber Co。 The story covers the years from 1904 - 2038， although not sequentially， which makes the reading a little more challenging as does the large cast of characters who keep reappearing。 Contemporary issues are well covered in this book: environmental advocates and protests， eco-tourism， big business， and wealth。 Throughout， the travails and successes of the Greenwood family and the complicated difficult familial relationships always has the center stage。 Excellent， beautiful writing！！ One of the best books I’ve read this year！ 。。。more

Ashley Cyr ，

A sweeping and surprising story。 Excellent！

Joe Collins ，

“What if a family isn’t a tree at all？ What if it’s more like a forest？ A collection of individuals pooling their resources through intertwined roots， sheltering one another from wind and weather and drought。” Well， this may just be a masterpiece。 It turns out novels about books are a favorite genre of mine。

Michele ，

This was a really enjoyable read。 It is a bit of CliFi because part of the book takes place in 2038 after the Wuthering， when the world became dusty and hot and most of the trees died because they had lost their ability to adapt to the climate， the climate having changed too drastically。 It is also a family epic， which reminds me of Barkskins by Annie Proulx， which also spans multiple generations and has a lot to do with trees。 As with The Overstory by Richard Powers， trees are a central charact This was a really enjoyable read。 It is a bit of CliFi because part of the book takes place in 2038 after the Wuthering， when the world became dusty and hot and most of the trees died because they had lost their ability to adapt to the climate， the climate having changed too drastically。 It is also a family epic， which reminds me of Barkskins by Annie Proulx， which also spans multiple generations and has a lot to do with trees。 As with The Overstory by Richard Powers， trees are a central character。 They are viewed from many perspectives - as profit， as material for carving and woodworking， as something to be saved at all costs， and as old friends。 I found it hard to put down。 The storyline of Jake Greenwood and the other trees in the forest that is her family， an analogy she makes。 slowly unfolds throughout the book。 It kept me turning the page。 。。。more

Michelle Morrill ，

First of all， my words will be entirely inadequate to properly critique the masterpiece that is Greenwood。My love for reading runs deep。 But there have only been a handful of books that have made me feel THIS deeply invested， and as cliché as it sounds – in love – with a book， like I have felt about Greenwood。 Like Maya Angelou’s quote about people not remembering what you said but remembering how you made them feel， certain special books are like that for me。 And this book is one I will forever First of all， my words will be entirely inadequate to properly critique the masterpiece that is Greenwood。My love for reading runs deep。 But there have only been a handful of books that have made me feel THIS deeply invested， and as cliché as it sounds – in love – with a book， like I have felt about Greenwood。 Like Maya Angelou’s quote about people not remembering what you said but remembering how you made them feel， certain special books are like that for me。 And this book is one I will forever remember for how it made me feel。 The reading experience alone was so enjoyable for me。 At times I felt so deeply for these characters and what they were experiencing， and that is when you know you are in the hands of a remarkable writer who writes from the heart。The writing was just beautiful。 Perfect for this book。 Descriptive， rich， and meaningful at times， especially for the deeper characters in the past。 More simply told for some of the characters of the future。 Perfectly suited。 Gorgeous similes and metaphors throughout。 Fleshed out characters for not only the major characters but even the minor ones （like Feeney and Temple）。 And all with different characters set in different time periods that felt so true to their environments。 And a unique plot， certainly one for our times， especially around environmental issues （which still did not feel rubbed in your face）。 The most astounding part of it all to me was how Christie pulls off this major arc of this story and how he connects everyone。 It felt like a spool of yarn slowly being pulled and unraveling before you， and once you get to the middle you see it building into something full circle。 Matching the gorgeous picture at the beginning of the book of the inside of a tree showing its timeline， Christie starts with 2038 and goes backwards to each time period listed in the picture， telling each main character’s （or characters’ at times） story， until he comes to the oldest time period， 1908， where the story originates in an unusual way。 Then reverses， continuing the story in each previous time period。 That alone was simply just brilliant！ When I realized that’s how the book was told I was all the more intrigued and impressed。 After the mid-point of the book， after going back to the furthest time period， and starting to journey forward into the future time periods， I found myself going back to the previous time periods and re-reading what had happened。 And so much clicked together， little seeds dropped in the beginning that grew into important key story pieces。I loved these characters。 I loved all their traits， especially their deeply human flaws， which Christie brings to the surface in a visceral way， and is what drives the story。 The first few chapters I was unsure about， I will say， but looking back， it is set up perfectly。 And can we talk about how gorgeous the hard cover book is in physical form？ The end pages are made to look like the grains of a tree！ And when you’ve got the book open， each right page has a thin black and gray wood pattern that runs up the right side of the page。 It literally was a joy just to read。 The pages are so soft。 I must have run my hands down most pages as I read。 And I also love that there is a note at the end of the book about how they published it as sustainably as possible， describing the environmentally thoughtful product process they used。 Brilliant！The only negative I have is on the ending。 I am still chewing on it and it probably makes sense to the true arc of such a story the more I think on it。 And I shouldn’t have been surprised as each of the characters have a similar ending in a way。 But Christie does a good job in fleshing out what the character’s dreams are， brings you just close enough for it to become a reality， and then turns the story sideways and brings you to different outcome。 I feel like I’ve been buckled into a seat and taken on a journey that blocked everything else out， and now I’m put back to where I started， yet I feel changed， and part of my mind is still back in that world。 All-in-all， this is truly a masterpiece。 I bet it will be my favorite read of 2021。 I cannot recommend it enough。 And I dread the thought of picking up another book as anything else will pale in comparison。 。。。more

Jackie ，

4。5 stars

Emma ，

I am speechless。 Couldn't even read the last third of the book properly as my tears were bathing my eyes non-stop。 A masterpiece through and through。 I am speechless。 Couldn't even read the last third of the book properly as my tears were bathing my eyes non-stop。 A masterpiece through and through。 。。。more

AndPeggy ，

3。49The writing is beautiful and reverent and the characters are written with depth and distinction。 The story starts with Jake Greenwood， a woman crushed by debt in the year 2038 who counts herself lucky to have a job as a tour guide at an island nature preserve that shares her surname。 The world is mostly dust and ultra rich pilgrims flock to the island to be surrounded by one of the few remaining patches of old trees。 On the same day Jake notices fungus that may spell disaster growing on on o 3。49The writing is beautiful and reverent and the characters are written with depth and distinction。 The story starts with Jake Greenwood， a woman crushed by debt in the year 2038 who counts herself lucky to have a job as a tour guide at an island nature preserve that shares her surname。 The world is mostly dust and ultra rich pilgrims flock to the island to be surrounded by one of the few remaining patches of old trees。 On the same day Jake notices fungus that may spell disaster growing on on of the sanctuary’s oldest trees， her ex-fiancé， a lawyer at a firm dealing with estate law， tracks her down and tells her the entire island may belong to her。The story traces the history of the Greenwood’s， centering on the two brothers who started the Greenwood company， which would eventually grow to be one of the richest logging companies in the world， and might be the adoptive father and uncle of Jake’s great grandmother， who may have been the daughter of the man who started the company in whose name the island is now owned。 The story spans from the early 1900s to the year 2038， tracing the family’s relationships with each other， other people， and the woods The portions dedicated to the Greenwood brothers were the most enrapturing and poignant to me， with Harris’s story and his struggles as a gay man in the early 20th century when discovery could mean an actual jail sentence and， as Harris has vivid reason to fear， an effective death sentence。 His story with the man he’d grow to love was brilliantly done。 Everett’s sacrifices for first his brother and later the infant he finds abandoned in the woods propels much of the story。 Just thinking about the Greenwood brothers makes me tempted to bump up my rating， but I’d have to ignore a lot about the other storylines。 The reason I haven’t rated this higher is primarily due to pacing and the part of the story set in 2038。 Just the omission of the 2038 storyline might have made the book a 4 because most of the last section feels like such a chore to get through。 I was expecting to be so much more happy with where the ending was going， but the last few pages ended it on an up note by once again jumping back in time and taking the form of a diary entry from the mother of Jake’s great-great-grandmother。 。。。more

Barry A。 ，

Very interesting novel that successfully merges form with content。 The novel follows four generations of the Greenwood family， pioneers in a hugely successful logging business， from founder Harris Greenwood's boyhood in 1908 through the 4th generation's Jacinda （"Jake"） Greenwood。 Except， mirroring the rings of the grand trees that are so central to the story， the novel starts in 2038 with Jake facing life-altering decisions and new information suggesting she is may be an heir to Harris's estate Very interesting novel that successfully merges form with content。 The novel follows four generations of the Greenwood family， pioneers in a hugely successful logging business， from founder Harris Greenwood's boyhood in 1908 through the 4th generation's Jacinda （"Jake"） Greenwood。 Except， mirroring the rings of the grand trees that are so central to the story， the novel starts in 2038 with Jake facing life-altering decisions and new information suggesting she is may be an heir to Harris's estate， after growing up believing the same last name is a coincidence。 The novel then takes us back to 2008 to Jake's father， Liam， a high-end carpenter， then 1974 to Liam's mother Willow's fateful reunion with her Uncle Everett following Everett's 38 year jail term， then to 1934 to follow Harris and Everett's adulthood， followed finally by Harris and Everett's boyhood in 1908。 Then， again like a cross-section of tree rings， the story crosses the mid-point and heads back in the opposite direction， this time proceeding in chronological order， cleverly and richly filling in the gaps in the outline delivered in the first half of the novel。 This multi-generational novel is well-written， extremely clever and serves multiple purposes。 First and foremost， it's a vastly entertaining story， full of great twists and characters。 The adventures of Everett in 1934， who has made off with an infant girl pursued across the country （the novel mostly takes place in Canada） by public and private interests， introduces us to several memorably vile characters， but other characters are also well-drawn in every time period。 Second， the novel works as a plea to consider trees and forests as living， breathing characters who suffer mankind's abuses potentially at great cost to the planet， and for us to govern our actions accordingly。 It's a lesson brought in extremely entertaining fashion， and I highly recommend this absorbing tale。 。。。more

Beatrice Van Winkle ，

It's pretty rare that I read a book that prominently features my birth province （New Brunswick）。 This book is the reason the pollen covers the surfaces of my house。 Who wants to dust when such a captivating book is beckoning。 It's pretty rare that I read a book that prominently features my birth province （New Brunswick）。 This book is the reason the pollen covers the surfaces of my house。 Who wants to dust when such a captivating book is beckoning。 。。。more

Elise Dyck ，

I loved this book。 I really， really loved it。 It’s probably the best book I’ve read in 2021 so far。 The plot is fantastic， the writing is engaging， page-turning but absorbing， and the characters will stay with me for a while （especially Everett Greenwood）。 Sigh; I just didn’t like the ending。 It wasn’t at all what I expected or wanted after such an amazing read。

Lynn Donohue ，

Having just read about the human hardship and climate disaster known as the “Dust Bowl” era in American plains （Texas） during the Great Depression （Kirsten Hannah’s magnificent- The Four Winds）， Greenwood unexpectedly continued the theme of rampant capitalism and man-made environmental apocalypse（ a world without trees） into the mid 21st century。However， for me the environmental theme was secondary to the unfolding tragedy and jagged lives of 2 brothers Everett and Harris “Greenwood” and the fam Having just read about the human hardship and climate disaster known as the “Dust Bowl” era in American plains （Texas） during the Great Depression （Kirsten Hannah’s magnificent- The Four Winds）， Greenwood unexpectedly continued the theme of rampant capitalism and man-made environmental apocalypse（ a world without trees） into the mid 21st century。However， for me the environmental theme was secondary to the unfolding tragedy and jagged lives of 2 brothers Everett and Harris “Greenwood” and the familial bonds that bind and destroy。 A novel for our time。 。。。more

Jessica ，

Wow， loved this book， luckily I had a Pacific Northwest， rainy day to hunker down to read it。 It is a hard book to put down。 Family histories， set primarily in the Canadian west coast forests， from 1908 to 2038。 I feel this book will stay with me。

Jennifer Hicks ，

So good！！！ I love a multi-generational novel， spanning eras， and it’s always better if there’s a bit if a mystery。 This book was beautiful， lush and its characters will stay with me。

T i n a ，

3。75 Stars

Sigried ，

Van sommige romans weet je al na een paar hoofdstukken dat je ze ooit eens zal herlezen。 Greenwood is zo’n boek。 Ik wist totaal niet wat ik moest verwachten en het duurde even voor ik mijn draai vond in het verhaal， maar na zo’n 50 pagina’s had Michael Christie me volledig in zijn greep。 De uren verdwenen in het niets en enkel naar het einde toe ging ik bewust trager lezen omdat ik niet wou dat die laatste pagina in het zicht kwam en ik onvermijdelijk afscheid zou moeten nemen van de bijzondere Van sommige romans weet je al na een paar hoofdstukken dat je ze ooit eens zal herlezen。 Greenwood is zo’n boek。 Ik wist totaal niet wat ik moest verwachten en het duurde even voor ik mijn draai vond in het verhaal， maar na zo’n 50 pagina’s had Michael Christie me volledig in zijn greep。 De uren verdwenen in het niets en enkel naar het einde toe ging ik bewust trager lezen omdat ik niet wou dat die laatste pagina in het zicht kwam en ik onvermijdelijk afscheid zou moeten nemen van de bijzondere familie die de Greenwoods zijn。Aanvankelijk dacht ik dat Greenwood vooral een klimaatroman zou zijn。 Dat idee werd versterkt door het eerste hoofdstuk dat zich in 2038 afspeelt。 Jake Greenwood woont op een van de laatste eilanden waar nog een oerbos te vinden is。 Door de Grote Verdorring， een ecologische ramp op wereldschaal， zijn er amper nog bomen te vinden en heerst er door de grote hoeveelheden stof in de lucht een dodelijke hoest。 Hoewel Jake zich gelukkig prijst dat ze als toergids aan de slag kan op Greenwood Island， blijkt het leven daar ook niet bepaald een pretje te zijn。Met een goed gedoseerde ironie worden de pelgrims – toeristen die naar de bomen komen kijken – beschreven。 Op dat punt werd me duidelijk dat de auteur niet de moralistische toer zou opgaan。 Ook uit de ontwikkeling van de meest uiteenlopende personages blijkt dat hij geen oordeel velt。 Hierdoor wordt op een realistische manier de geschiedenis van de familie Greenwood verteld， een familie waarbij bomen en hout als een rode draad doorheen hun levens lopen。Of het nu gaat over 1908， 1934， 1974 of 2038， elke periode wordt met zoveel zorg beschreven dat je moeiteloos met de auteur meereist。 Michael Christie was zelf timmerman en woont met zijn gezin in een zelfgebouwd houten huis。 Uit alles blijkt dat hij bomen en houtstructuren door en door kent。 De manier waarop de bosomgevingen beschreven worden zijn ronduit schitterend。Het verhaal is ingenieus opgebouwd， waardoor het onmogelijk is om het goed samen te vatten zonder spoilers te geven。 Op een logische manier springt het verhaal tussen verschillende tijden en personages。 Zo duik je steeds dieper in de familiegeschiedenis en worden de verbanden tussen de verschillende generaties steeds duidelijker。 Opvallend is de gevoeligheid die de mannelijke personages typeren， een geslaagde zet die het boek boven de gemiddelde roman uittilt。Ik was erg benieuwd naar het einde en vreesde een beetje dat er allerlei spectaculaire plotwendingen zouden gebruikt worden om de verschillende verhaallijnen met elkaar te verbinden。 Gelukkig lost de auteur het op in de stijl van de rest van het boek: helder， verrassend en aangrijpend。Greenwood lijkt op het eerste zicht een roman over klimaatveranderingen， maar is eerder een machtig familie-epos over het aantrekken en afstoten van de verschillende generaties。 Ik heb ontzettend genoten van deze roman， die een plaatsje bij mijn favorieten heeft veroverd。 。。。more

Jocelyn ，

This was an -incredible- read。 I was totally consumed in the layers and complexities of this multi-generational ‘family’ saga。 The further I read into the book， the more it pulled on my heart。 Remarkable descriptions of trees and forestry throughout。 There were parts I wished were longer， some bits I could do without。 Overall， a wonderful， memorable story。 It’s definitely a book I’ll treasure and cherish。 4。5/5

Hank Hansen ，

A fast and excellent read。 4。5 rounded down。。。 almost a 5 start book for me but not quite。 I had some little quibbles with the story and its resolution but for most part， this one hit for me。 Parts reminded me （in good ways） of the Golden Spruce， the Overstory。。。 maybe also Pachinko？ Definitely would recommend。

Diane S ☔ ，

Thoughts soon。

Julie ，

What a read！ This book tells the story of over 100 years in a very interesting way。 More and more gets revealed as the story moves along。Every single one of the main characters is pretty much unlikeable at some point in the novel。 Still， the story draws you in and you don’t want to put it down。

Clara ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I thoroughly enjoyed this book and thought that the structure was interesting but very poorly executed。 The 2038 generation got completed shafted - how many pages were actually devoted to Jake？ 75？ I wanted more！ I also completely disagree with the ending - Jake was dumb for throwing everything away and I think based on what we knew about her （albeit little） she would have and should have worked with the lawyer to claim Greenwood Island。 What a completely waste of a saga and opportunity for her。 I thoroughly enjoyed this book and thought that the structure was interesting but very poorly executed。 The 2038 generation got completed shafted - how many pages were actually devoted to Jake？ 75？ I wanted more！ I also completely disagree with the ending - Jake was dumb for throwing everything away and I think based on what we knew about her （albeit little） she would have and should have worked with the lawyer to claim Greenwood Island。 What a completely waste of a saga and opportunity for her。 This book also suffers from "man writing about women poorly" syndrome。 The book doesn't come close to passing the Bechdel test and it's painfully obvious。 There's also a couple of *very* awkwardly worded lines referring to womens' breasts that truly adds nothing to the story。 I found those sections quite cringey and honestly just pretended they didn't happen。 All of my qualms aside， the 1908/1930s generation was FANTASTIC。 Everett is a wonderful and complex character - I enjoyed every page devoted to him。 It was also refreshing to see a father-daughter （using those words loosely） relationship explored。 You don't see that in many stories， especially when the daughter is an infant。 Those sections， and thankfully they make up three-quarters of the book， are lovely and compelling。 。。。more

Sarah ，

4。5 stars。 Spanning four generations， this story follows the Greenwood family。 It charts their rise and fall and the heartbreak， struggles and obstacles faced over 130 years。 Greenwood also paints a very vivid picture of climate change， environmental devastation and the parts that humans and corporations play in it。Christie's writing is rich and full of symbolism and imagery。 I feel that he very much brought the trees to life and gave them immense power。 The book is full of loss， tragedy and tra 4。5 stars。 Spanning four generations， this story follows the Greenwood family。 It charts their rise and fall and the heartbreak， struggles and obstacles faced over 130 years。 Greenwood also paints a very vivid picture of climate change， environmental devastation and the parts that humans and corporations play in it。Christie's writing is rich and full of symbolism and imagery。 I feel that he very much brought the trees to life and gave them immense power。 The book is full of loss， tragedy and trauma， but I loved seeing the perseverance， grit and passion of many of the characters。 The fact that the majority of the book took place in BC made it even more special for me。I am grateful that I was able to buddy read this one。 I tend to find multigenerational stories intimidating and daunting， so being able to discuss the topics and many characters in depth really helped me。 I found Greenwood quite dense at times and it was a bit of a slower read， but it came together beautifully。 The only thing I craved was a bit more time in the year 2038。 Regardless， I feel fortunate to have read such an incredible book and absolutely recommend it！ 。。。more

Carmel Hanes ，

"What if a family isn't a tree at all"。。。"What if it's more like a forest？ A collection of individuals pooling their resources through intertwined roots， sheltering one another from wind and weather and drought"。。。"if not a part of her family tree， then part of her family forest。 And no one knows better than a dendrologist that it's the forests that matter"。。。"And like all stories， families are not born， they're invented， pieced together from love and lies and nothing else。" Wow。 This book captu "What if a family isn't a tree at all"。。。"What if it's more like a forest？ A collection of individuals pooling their resources through intertwined roots， sheltering one another from wind and weather and drought"。。。"if not a part of her family tree， then part of her family forest。 And no one knows better than a dendrologist that it's the forests that matter"。。。"And like all stories， families are not born， they're invented， pieced together from love and lies and nothing else。" Wow。 This book captured me。 Its unique structure mirroring the inner rings of a tree， it offers a multi-generational story centered on all things wood。 Those who love and protect it， those who use it to advance their own lives or abuse it， those who hide in it， those who lovingly carve it into beautiful creations。 As the story unfolds， we travel through each section of this unique group of people to the inner core to where their story begins， as though boring slowly through the hidden rings， allowing the sap of history to seep out， a drip at a time。 An insight at a time。 A truth at a time。I loved the metaphorical nature of this book， captured by those top quotes。 Complicated people and events intertwined at their roots， growing in their own directions， not always succeeding with that family task of sheltering one another。 Just like the trees， they are susceptible to forces of nature and the evils of man。 There are those you root for， those you despise， and those who puzzle you。 I particularly enjoyed the narrative voice of this story， which is hard to describe。 The flow kept me wanting to know more， and more， and answered questions while still leaving things open for wonder。 There is suffering in this book。 Suffering brought on by nature and by man's nature。 But there is also love， sacrifice， generosity， resilience， and transformation。 "。。。she has made him into a new kind of creature entirely。 Not a good man。 Nor one worthy of any respect or adulation。 But one who values the life of another over his own。 And this transformation has closed a wound that had long festered and seeped inside him。""Because even after you cut a piece of wood， and lay it straight， it lives on after you're finished， soaking up moisture， twisting， bowing， and warping into unintended forms。 Our lives are no different。"I loved many aspects of The Overstory， for many of the same reasons。 But even with that love， I think it lost a star due to being excessively long and wearing out its welcome in my mind。 This one never did。 I loved it to the end， and am still thinking about what an enjoyable read it was。 There are clearly elements of climate change concerns in this story， but the overwhelming focus was on the people and their interconnected roots。 That said， the prose dedicated to everything tree fed my soul in ways a book rarely does。 One tree product--books--was an important thread in the story， and led to this delicious quote:"Her books won't lift anyone from their low station They won't right wrongs or save wandering souls from perdition or fill grumbling stomachs。 But they might let a few scraps of sunlight fall into some lean， desolate lives， and that's something。"This book let a rainbow of light into my life。 Highly recommend it。 。。。more

Carrie ，

This book is a masterpiece and I adored every second of it！ The connections made between trees and family is wondrous。 Many times the writing alone made me tear up。 Without a doubt this book has become one of my all time favorites。

Allison ，

4。5 stars。 This multi-generational saga is a wonderful book that was hard to put down。 The half-star off is because it is， at points， quite bleak。 It doesn't seem like anyone got to be truly happy。 It does start in 2038， but this is not a dystopian novel。 4。5 stars。 This multi-generational saga is a wonderful book that was hard to put down。 The half-star off is because it is， at points， quite bleak。 It doesn't seem like anyone got to be truly happy。 It does start in 2038， but this is not a dystopian novel。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Greenwood

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Greenwood&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Greenwood&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0