Synopsis
Michael Christie’s Greenwood is a multi-generational saga spanning over a century of the Greenwood family’s intertwined history with the forests of Canada. The narrative is structured like the rings of a tree, beginning in 2038; at the heart, 100 years ago.
In 2038, Jake Greenwood, a dendrologist, works as a guide at a high-end nature resort during the 'Great Withering', a global ecological collapse that has killed most of the world's trees.
The story then moves backwards through time, following the Greenwoods' lineage from 2008, 1974, and 1934. The novel eventually reaches the family's origins in 1908, following a devastating train crash in which two young boys, named Harris and Everett Greenwood, were the sole survivors.
As the mystery unfolds, the novel explores themes of environmental destruction, hidden bloodlines, and the enduring weight of ancestral mistakes.
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Key themes
The novel depicts a future where global ecological collapse, known as the Great Withering, has decimated the world's forests and left humanity in an environmental wasteland.
It explores how aggressive logging and extractive capitalism in the past led to environmental consequences for future generations.
In the ruined world, survival is determined by wealth, with the elite living in luxury while the poor suffer from disease and dust
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- There have been many fine reviews of this novel, but I don't possess the words that would adequately convey its brilliance. It has been referred to as a Masterpiece, and I would wholeheartedly agree. Very highly recommended.
- Tara Rock
- Astonishing. Like the trees and forests that form the backdrop of much of this book, Greenwood is a remarkable, majestic whole, comprised of characters big and small, and stories both epic and modest. Greenwood is the sort of book you encounter only every several years, if you’re lucky.
- Michael
- Does for Western Canada what John Steinbeck’s East of Eden did for Salinas Valley, California. 1908 to 2038, multi generational saga of the Greenwood family. I read this slowly, savouring every scene and there were so many memorable ones. This novel is a perfect blend of setting, character and story.
- Sarah
- What a beautiful novel. This one stole my heart from the first couple chapters. Almost immediately in my head I was surrounded by trees under a lush canopy with a dappling of light and the scent of pines. I realize a book about families and forests wont be for everyone but it was an excellent fit for me.
- Nicole Tinichix