I studied trees for my senior project in undergrad, and I remember the looks I would get when I tried to explain how magical these living beings are. My work explored plant autonomy and the ways humans interpret nature’s agency, but When Trees Testify deepens that understanding in ways I could have never imagined. The book’s poetic assertion that the breath of loved ones can remain alive through scientific processes is an astounding observation. It redefines the boundaries between the human and the natural. It reminds us that our actions are linked to the lives of the ecosystems we shape. When Trees Testify presents trees not as passive organisms, but as active participants—beings with resilience and a shared history.
When Trees Testify by Beronda L. Montgomery, (List Price: $27.99, Henry Holt and Co., 9781250335166, January 2026)
Reviewed by Chloe Strong, Epilogue: Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina