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Quick answer: If you read The Overstory, read Braiding Sweetgrass, The Hidden Life of Trees, Finding the Mother Tree and The Wild Trees. All look at trees and forests with wonder, from science to story.
Richard Powers's Pulitzer Prize-winning 2018 novel weaves together the lives of nine people who are changed by trees, and who each take a different path to defend them. It is large, patient and full of ideas. The books below offer similar looks at trees and the natural world, in fiction and non-fiction.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Braiding Sweetgrass | Robin Wall Kimmerer | Adult | science and story |
| The Hidden Life of Trees | Peter Wohlleben | Adult | forest science |
| Finding the Mother Tree | Suzanne Simard | Adult | scientist's memoir |
| The Wild Trees | Richard Preston | Adult | giant redwoods |
| Barkskins | Annie Proulx | Adult | epic of forests |
| Lab Girl | Hope Jahren | Adult | science memoir |
| Silent Spring | Rachel Carson | Adult | environmental classic |
| Flight Behavior | Barbara Kingsolver | Adult | climate and community |
| Prodigal Summer | Barbara Kingsolver | Adult | wild nature and lives |
| The Ministry for the Future | Kim Stanley Robinson | Adult | climate novel |
| Annihilation | Jeff VanderMeer | Adult | strange wilderness |
| Bewilderment | Richard Powers | Adult | father and son |
| The Echo Maker | Richard Powers | Adult | mind and memory |
| Cloud Cuckoo Land | Anthony Doerr | Adult | linked stories across time |
| Underland | Robert Macfarlane | Adult | below the surface |
1. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
A botanist and Potawatomi writer blends plant science with Indigenous knowledge. Warm, wise and widely loved.
Best for: science and story.
2. The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben
A forester explains how trees communicate and support each other. Charming and surprising.
Best for: forest science.
3. Finding the Mother Tree by Suzanne Simard
Simard tells the story of her research into forest networks. Personal and inspiring.
Best for: scientist's memoir.
4. The Wild Trees by Richard Preston
A group of climbers explores the canopy of the tallest trees. Vivid, strange and adventurous.
Best for: giant redwoods.
5. Barkskins by Annie Proulx
Two woodcutters in New France found families that shape the forests for centuries. Long, sweeping and bleak.
Best for: epic of forests.
6. Lab Girl by Hope Jahren
A geobiologist writes about her work with plants and friendship. Funny and honest.
Best for: science memoir.
7. Silent Spring by Rachel Carson
Carson shows the harm of pesticides to nature. The book that helped launch the modern environmental movement.
Best for: environmental classic.
8. Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver
A woman on a Tennessee farm sees monarch butterflies in the wrong place. Thoughtful and engaging.
Best for: climate and community.
9. Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver
Three stories in Appalachia link people and predators. Lyrical and warm.
Best for: wild nature and lives.
10. The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson
A near-future story about an organisation fighting climate change. Large and practical.
Best for: climate novel.
11. Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
A team enters a mysterious zone and slowly changes. Eerie and poetic.
Best for: strange wilderness.
12. Bewilderment by Richard Powers
An astrobiologist raises a sensitive son after his wife's death. Short, tender and urgent.
Best for: father and son.
13. The Echo Maker by Richard Powers
A man wakes from a car accident believing his sister is an impostor. Moving and mysterious.
Best for: mind and memory.
14. Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
Characters across centuries are connected by an ancient story. Large-hearted and inventive.
Best for: linked stories across time.
15. Underland by Robert Macfarlane
Macfarlane explores caves, mines and underground networks. Lyrical and deep.
Best for: below the surface.
How to Choose
For nature writing with science choose Braiding Sweetgrass, The Hidden Life of Trees or Finding the Mother Tree. For adventure pick The Wild Trees. For novels about people and the planet read Prodigal Summer, Flight Behavior or Barkskins. For more Powers try Bewilderment or The Echo Maker. The Overstory is long and slow, so start with shorter picks like Bewilderment if you want a gentle start. The Overstory is often suggested for people who enjoy reading outdoors, and a nearby woodland walk makes a good companion to many of these books. Readers new to nature writing may prefer to start with The Hidden Life of Trees, which is short and cheerful. Readers who want story should go for Barkskins or Prodigal Summer. Readers who like ideas will find Braiding Sweetgrass rewarding. Many of these exist as audiobooks, which suit long walks. Many readers like to pair The Overstory with a visit to a real forest, which gives its descriptions of trees a deeper meaning.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Overstory about?
Nine people from different backgrounds are drawn into the fight to protect old forests.
Who wrote it?
Richard Powers.
When was it published?
2018.
Did it win a prize?
Yes, the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
Is it a long book?
It is around 500 pages.
Is it an easy read?
It is dense and ambitious, but beautifully written.
Is it about activism?
Yes, among other themes, including family and science.
What should I read next?
Try Braiding Sweetgrass or Bewilderment.
Is The Overstory a hard novel?
It is long and has many characters, but each section is clear and beautifully written.
Is the science real?
Powers drew on real research about trees, including studies of forest communication, though some claims are debated by scientists.
Is The Overstory a good book for nature lovers?
Yes, the tree passages are some of its most beautiful writing.