The Forest Becomes Her: A Novel

by Julie Carrick Dalton

The perfect choice for your next book Julie Carrick Dalton's The Forest Becomes Her is a gorgeous, hopeful novel about three women from different generations navigating the complexities of family, the impacts of our choices, and our deep connections to the natural world beneath our feet.

In historic, bucolic Concord, Massachusetts, a centuries-old forest has been removed to make way for a new, eco-friendly housing development. The locals are upset by the destruction, but out-of-towners like Hazel Stoddard are flocking to put down roots in their new guilt-free dream homes.

Soon a tragedy leaves Hazel unmoored in her new life, and she begins to feel the pull of the absent forest. Hazel is not alone—her neighbors, real estate agent Stella Flint and teenage environmentalist Polly Bauer, each have their own trauma and relationship to the land. The three women are drawn together to save the last remaining oak tree, or they risk losing themselves to lingering shadows that only they can see.

In The Forest Becomes Her, Julie Carrick Dalton brings hope and reverence to this lush celebration of multigenerational female relationships, the ever-evolving female form, humanity’s connection to our changing world, and the mysteries that still exist in nature.

Genres: Fiction, Adult Fiction

336 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication July 14, 2026

Reviews

[Alyssa Short · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Forest Becomes Her is a beautifully written story that follows three women at very different stages of their lives, each facing hardships in their own way. Through strange and unexpected circumstances, their paths intertwine, creating a bond that feels both mysterious and deeply moving.

What I loved most about this book is how it touches on so many meaningful themes—grief, guilt, adolescence, menopause, and even the importance of caring for the natural world. Each of these topics is woven into the story with such honesty and beauty that I felt connected to every character’s experience.

The pacing kept me hooked from start to finish. The tension rises and falls in a way that feels natural but also gripping, and by the time I reached the ending, I couldn’t look away. It was powerful, emotional, and left me thinking long after I turned the last page.

This is a story that stays with you—both for its unforgettable characters and the way it captures life’s hardest moments with so much heart

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Forest Becomes Her is a reflective book looking at the interconnectedness of people, trees, and the natural world. The story centers around a young girl, Polly, who is fighting to save her beloved old oak tree after land developers demolished its forest. I enjoyed the magical realism elements in this book that literally showed how connected people are to trees and nature. A warning though for future readers- one of the storylines in this book is about the loss of a pregnancy due to a car accident.

I appreciated how this book brought the issue of the destruction of old-growth forests to the forefront. Too many people can’t be bothered to think about or care about the destructions of forests that have been around for four generations or longer. I wish more people had the passion for preserving trees and forests that this author does!

Thanks to NetGalley for an unbiased review in exchange for an ARC.

[Christine Timmo · Rating 5 out of 5]

How do I describe this book? The Forest Becomes Her had me captivated from start to finish. It had kind of a horror feel but was definitely not horror. Every character was deep. The plot has you rooting every second for the old growth forests. The writing was lyrical and mystical. I loved every second of this book and could not put it down.

(Thanks goodreads for the giveaway)

[Daulton Freeman · Rating 3 out of 5]

The type of book I’d read while drinking herbal tea, inhaling incense, doing crystal therapy, and aligning my chakras.

[Karen Axnick · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a “tree person” and a lover of the magical realism genre, I was looking forward to reading this novel. Unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. First, it was a slow start with alternating perspectives that felt disjointed. Second, the magical realism aspect crossed over into full blown science fiction, containing horror elements. Lastly, the resolution of several suspenseful threads did not deliver.

Three women become united through their connection with a 400-year-old Oak tree, the lone survivor of an old growth forest in Concord, Massachusetts, decimated for the purpose of building eco-sustainable homes. Polly, a thirteen-year-old activist, has deep ties to the forest in general and the remaining tree in particular. Stella, a real estate agent, is an unhappy menopausal woman and the best friend of Polly’s deceased mother. Hazel is a young, married woman whose hopes and dreams of a home and family have been shattered by a tragic car accident.

The author does a credible job in exploring the importance of the forest as a living entity – critical to the balance between the interconnected system of multiple species, including humans. The effects of the loss of the trees in the name of progress (and greed) are graphically described. The primary characters are well-drawn and believable in their emotional tone. Sadly, the shrill HOA administrator comes across as a clichéd villain lacking any empathy.

Overall, this read was not as enjoyable as I had anticipated and I can only give it a lukewarm recommendation.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

[Adeline Russ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Forest Becomes Her is an interesting mix of something akin to horror and a statement on ecological awareness. The setting is a new sustainable housing development built on the clear cut land of a 400 year old forest. One lone oak tree remains and young Polly Bauer buried her mother's ashes in the roots. Stella Flint sells the houses built by Flint Construction, but her brother owns the company and calls the shots. She lives in one of the houses next door to young couple Toby and Hazel. Hazel recently lost a pregnancy due to a car accident caused by flooding in the area.

The three women will come together, each with a different reason, to save the old oak tree. Polly believes the old tree is lonely and they can plant a bridge to another forested area. Hazel wants proof the flood was caused by clear-cutting the forested land. She wants justice for her lost child. Stella wants to do something worthwhile and notable instead of always being second fiddle to her brother. As they attract local attention with their tree-planting the truth comes out about the corners that were cut by Flint construction and the trustee who sold the forest. A price must be paid but what will it be and who will pay it?

A well-written and researched story. I found the ending a bit long and drawn out. Thank you St Martin's and Julie C Dalton for the opportunity to read the book and review.

[Erika · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Forest Becomes Her is told from the POV of 3 characters - a young girl fighting to save her favorite oak tree among the demolition of a forest to pave the way for new development, a woman who has lost her unborn child, and an older woman struggling to pay the bills amid menopause.

But the main character in this story is actually nature itself. If you love nature - and I really mean LOVE nature - than you will probably enjoy this book, as vivid descriptions of the forest, the soil, individual plants, etc. dominates this story. The characters all regularly interact with nature, from the relatively normal talking about it, admiring it, and planting it to the strange eating/slathering themselves with dirt, seeing phantom nature, growing chin-hair-eating carnivorous plants and - spoiler alert - BECOMING nature (hence the extremely appropriate title). In the acknowledgements, the author said that things were going to get weird, and they definitely did beyond a point where I was comfortable.

While the writing in this book was good, being very vivid and descriptive, the subject matter was very much too much.

Thank you to Goodreads for gifting me a copy in a Goodreads Giveaway. All opinions in this review are mine.

[Rowan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book! I was skeptical at first because the first chapter reminded me of so many other ecological-focused books, but I’m so glad that I kept with it. The three main characters all felt unique and fully fleshed out. I was impressed with how well their individual struggles with grief were explored. I thought that the balance between their perspectives was really well done in general. The body horror was intriguing, and I really liked how it felt pretty rooted (haha) in reality.

The only real issue I had was the ending! I’ve never been a fan of lyrical prose in fiction, but I can acknowledge that it made sense with the story. It was just a little too off kilter for how I wanted it to end if that makes sense. I was a little unimpressed with one of the reveals too, the other reveals/plot twists were genuinely so good! I’d recommend this book regardless of these two very minor issues. :)

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway!

[Hannelore Cheney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.
This is a lyrical, thoughtful book that features 3 female characters and the only tree left after a forest was annihilated to make way for a high-end sustainable housing complex.
I really liked the 3 females, especially Polly, the teenager who believes her mother lives in the old tree, as she buried her late mother's ashes there. She also feels the tree is lonely.
The story touches on the interconnection between humans and the natural world and has a touch of horror/ fantasy interwoven.
At times I felt quite teary because of the emotional pain the women were going through.
It's really quite a beautiful book.

[Aleks · Rating 4 out of 5]

2026 has been a good year in books so far! I feel as though I've read so many books in the last few years about trees (seriously, at this point this need to be a separate genre), but this was an entirely original and magically realist take on the subject. Set in present-day Massachusetts, amid the suburban sprawl claiming much of the region's old-growht forest, this novel focuses on the stories of three women whose lives intertwine in occasionally unexpected ways. Poignant, though occasionally overly lyrical, this will be a book club favorite this year.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Libby Reidy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating book that grabbed my attention at page one. Three women, at different periods in their lives, and a connection to a tree that is the only one left after developers have cut down the rest for a housing development. This storyline resonated with me; seeing areas of destruction of once cherished lands being destroyed and the consequences that follow. A book that left me thinking about what I can do to help to preserve some of these areas. Highly recommended, I plan to suggest it to my next reading club meeting.

[Blue Coat · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a nature lover I looked forward to this read. The three main characters were people I could relate to. Their struggle to save and preserve their most cherished trees is a constant battle in all our lives today. The characters were original along with the plot. I just was hoping for more.

[Niki ☾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this novel. The author managed to develop three character points of view that I truly cared about. I was never bored or waiting to get to a different chapter. I am nature lover and adored the way humans and nature were woven together.

[Rhonda]

Thank you St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book.
A deeply thought provoking environmental story. Three extraordinary female characters and one beautiful tree.