What a uniquely written and presented book!

The slow pace felt so intentional given the focus of listening and being present that spanned Sprinkel’s time with the trees. There’s a unique blend of science, history, etymology, and specific dives into adjacent subjects depending on what part of the world we’re spending time in. On the other hand, there’s focus on dreams, religion, magic, and spirituality.

Immaculately researched, this book covers a wide range of perspectives, time, and geography. There’s a golden thread connecting the past, present, and uncertain future of the trees as climate breakdown accelerates. Sprinkel’s honesty about what this means for the various trees in the book, and the knock-on effect it will have for humans, was deeply appreciated by this reader.

This is a slow read, forcing us to consider all aspects of listening and being present. At times, I found some of the history and literature extracts a bit dry. The narrative flow between the hard science and Sprinkel’s experience weren’t always as smooth as they might’ve been. There’s a lot of repetition about Sprinkel’s yearning for children: she’s deeply grieving this but I’m not sure it needed to be repeated quite so much.

The final chapter was very different to rest of the book. The COVID-19 lockdowns barred Sprinkel from her trip to Africa. Instead, she uses this section to look inward and reflect on place, and by connecting with a beech tree. This had a much more intimate and memoir feel than the preceding chapters to me. In places, it read like a journal including some of Sprinkel’s own poetry and diary extracts.

I’m glad I spent time with this book. As a reader who has a deep appreciate for trees and a connection to nature, there’s a lot to appreciate about Sprinkel’s commitment to learning more about the connection of trees and community… as well as herself.

3.5