4 Stars
Narrators: Alexandra Ryan, Jennifer Blom, and Mia Hutchinson-Shaw
Listening Time: 11 Hours, 17 Minutes
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Release Date: July 14, 2026
Genre: Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Environmental Issues
Polly lives with her grandfather since her mother’s death. She loves nature and is fighting a development that threatens the local forest and conservation area. Recently a trustee of the nature trust sold a section of the forest to a development company. They have decimated the forest. Polly is concerned that the mother tree is dying and must be protected. She begins a project to plant more trees and gains the nickname of Tree Girl.
Stella is a real estate agent in charge of selling the new homes in the development. Polly’s mother was her best friend, and she promised to watch over her. She is conflicted because she needs the money to sell the houses, but she sees the effect the development is having on Polly.
Hazel and her husband recently moved into one of the new homes in the development. In fact, this house was his design. They are so excited to begin their new family in this house. Hazel is having cravings but since her husband is busy working, she decides to go to the store alone. On the way, the road washes out and her car is severely damaged. She is taken to the hospital and suffers a miscarriage. She blames herself but wonders if there are other issues related to the development.
The story is told by multiple perspectives and three different narrators. It has a good pace, and the characters are very developed. I became very immersed in the story and how important the tree was to the overall theme. If you like fiction and saving the environment, you may enjoy listening to this audiobook.
