By Emily Davis
I just finished reading two novels (Barkskins by Annie Proulx and The Overstory by Richard Power) with no thought that the themes might connect. Both are about our profligate use of trees and destruction of forests. I was primed for the topic since I had read Peter Wohlleben’s The Hidden Life of Trees last year. Wohleben’s book talks about the social life of trees and the importance of forests as a supportive community.
Barkskins is an epic tale of two men who arrive in Canada as indentured servants in the late just before 1700. It follows their descendants into the late 20 th century. One man marries a Mi'kmaq woman and their descendants become Native American. The other marries a Dutch woman and descendants join what becomes the prominent culture. Members of both families are
involved in cutting the forests that initially they see as infinite. The white family become rich on timber and is always looking for more forests to take. The Native America family struggles to adapt to the changes in the landscape as their way of living is denied them and they are forced to live in a culture that considers making a profit as the correct life style, while those taking just what they need are considered lazy. In spite of that fact that the family business has to be relocated for lack of trees, they continue to see each new forest resource as infinite.
The Overstory took me a while to get into because Powers introduces the main characters one at a time in chapters that seem like short stories, several with tree themes imbedded. Then he connects the most of the characters as they fight to save forests and the trees.
Our understanding of the interactions of species and individuals within a species in the forest community is growing and changing. The books made me think about the length of time it takes for a forest community to develop after cutting (hundreds of years) and if sustainable forestry is really possible. With only 7% of our old growth forest left and 20% of our forest “permanently” removed for agriculture, shouldn’t we stop all cutting in these forests to protect the forest community. As Aldo Leopold said, “To keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution of intelligent tinkering.”
Both books are available at the Free Library of Philadelphia in book and ebook format. Barkskins is also available as an audiobook. I hope you find both books as stimulating as I did.
Proulx, Annie. Barkskins. Simon and Shuster. 2016.
Power, Richard. Overstory. W. W. Norton $ Company. 2018.
Wohlleben, Peter. The Hidden Life of Trees : What They Feel, How They Communicate : Discoveries
from a Secret World. Berkeley : Greystone Books Ltd. 2016.
Photo courtesy of Flicker user: Trending Topics 2019
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