Awestruck in ‘The Overstory’
The sole survivor of tragedy, Nicholas Hoel’s existence has been lonely. His creativity sustains him, but his magnificent “tree art” is unseen by other human eyes.
He is days away from having to vacate his home and all his creations when Olivia, fresh from her near-death experience, finds him, drawn to the Hoel chestnut by the invisible voices that now guide her.
They venture forth together, eventually becoming tree-sitters in an enormous redwood named Mimas which is slated for destruction.
With a human connection and a purpose, he marvels at how his life has changed.
“…on a night such as this, as the forest pumps out its million-part symphonies and the fat, blazing moon gets shredded in Mimas’s branches, it’s easy for even Nick to believe that green has a plan that will make the age of mammals seem like a minor detour.”
