The Forest Becomes Her

by Julie Carrick Dalton

The perfect choice for your next book club. 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, Literary Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy, Contemporary, Audiobook, Adult Fiction

336 pages, Hardcover

Published July 14, 2026

Reviews

[Shelley's Book Nook · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:
The Book Review Crew Blog


⭐⭐⭐1/2
The Forest Becomes Her
Julie Carrick Dalton
Publication Date: July 14th, 2026
St. Martin's Press
336 Pages
Amazon | Bookshop.org
Genre: General Fiction | Sci Fi & Fantasy | Women's Fiction

I love multigenerational stories, especially those featuring three different generations of women. These women aren't related, but they do have something in common. They're all dealing with family issues, and they want to save an old oak tree (insert the Tony Orlando and Dawn song here!).



Add a touch of magical realism, and what you have is a tale as old as time: we're all part of the Earth. Hazel is a new member of the community of Concord, Massachusetts. She's feeling lost after a tragedy and begins to feel a pull toward the forest that was destroyed to make way for the new homes, including the one where she now lives. Hazel ends up becoming friends with two local women: Stella, a real estate agent, and Polly, a teenage environmentalist (think Greta Thunberg). Together, they decide to protect the last oak tree on the land, and in doing so, they begin to confront their own traumas.

This story was very atmospheric, blending family drama and mystery in a thoughtful way. It's a very character-driven novel, and I liked the characters for the most part. The forest setting is beautifully described and creates an engaging backdrop. The story is slow to get going, but the character development pays off, making the emotional moments hit a little harder.

I always enjoy books that explore community and the feeling of belonging. I liked the way the author portrayed humanity's relationship with Mother Earth without becoming too preachy, and it never overtook the story itself.

Overall, this was a very compelling read with excellent writing, even if it did slow down in places. I'd describe it as literary suspense with an eco-friendly theme, and what I appreciated most was its unique atmosphere and emotional depth.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the last chapter most. Writing could've been tighter, but the last chapter was worth getting through it for me. Also, great title - makes complete sense by the end.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Forest Becomes Her is a multigenerational story centered on three characters, two women and one early teenage girl, all living in Concord Massachusetts and thrown together by circumstances arising from the development of a new area of homes on land in town. The novel starts as a tale of individual problems and grows outward through use of magical realism and of botanical science to become larger than the town and its people. Polly is the 13 year old girl who champions the 400 year old oak that remains in the new community. Hazel is a young married woman who recently moved into Oak Run. Stella is a real estate agent and was a close friend of Polly’s late mother. The action of the novel will flow between and through these three as they interact with each other, the land and the oak. The dream world, or world beyond this, will enter their lives at some point.

The author fully develops the main characters individually as she builds her story. I found that this led to the climax beautifully. At a time when saving old growth trees is of great importance, and the indiscriminate bending or breaking of land use laws seems rampant, I enjoyed finding a different approach to an environmental novel. Recommended to those who enjoy reading books with magical realism elements.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC of this book.

[Fireborn Reader 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

[Kris the retired librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made me want to walk outside and put my hands in the dirt.

The Forest Becomes Her by Julie Carrick Dalton follows three women in Concord, Massachusetts after a centuries-old forest gets clear-cut to make room for a development of eco-friendly homes. The irony is lost on the developers. One massive oak is left standing alone, and that tree is what pulls these three women into each other's lives.

Polly is a grieving teenager who scattered her mother's ashes at the old oak, a place the two of them loved. Stella is the real estate agent selling the new homes, lonely after losing her best friend, Polly's mom. Hazel is Stella's neighbor, trying to make sense of a devastating loss, finding her only comfort in the soil of her backyard. Together they set out to save the tree, and they find friendship, community, and a way through their grief.

I loved all three women, but Polly especially. She's smart, shy, observant, and kind. She's carrying two kinds of grief at once, for her mother and for the forest, and she starts out alone but slowly finds her voice and her people. Dalton's writing is poignant without ever tipping into saccharine. You feel the weight these women are carrying, but the book never tries to manipulate you into feeling it. The magical realism is woven in so gradually it never feels forced, and the idea of finding solace in nature shows up in ways I won't spoil here.

Atmospheric, engrossing, and full of heart. The right reader for this is anyone who loves found family, magical realism, women's fiction, or stories about our connection to the natural world.

Thank you to Megan Beatie Communications and St. Martin's Press for the gifted ARC.

[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.

[Daulton · 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.

[Kenzie | kenzienoelle.reads]

Made it to 50 pages and I’m not interested at all :/ I read a couple of reviews and based on some thoughts that I read, I don’t think this will be a book for me anyway. I saw it compared to Shark Heart in the weird sense of magical realism that gets introduced. So sadly, as beautiful as this cover is I’m DNFing.

Thank you St. Martins for the gifted book!!

[Beth Cato · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advance copy via NetGalley.

Dalton's work explores the twined lives of three people in storied, Massachusetts, where an old-growth forest has been razed to build eco-friendly housing. There's Polly, the angry environmentalist whose feels her mother's death, and the loss of her beloved trees, as ever-bleeding wounds; Hazel, a resident of one of the new houses, whose grief over her lost pregnancy becomes something deeper; and Stella, menopausal and grizzled, who is weary of selling her soul to try to make a living in real estate.

The back cover copy emphasizes this being a good book club read, and it does seem suited for that niche as a very literary-toned fantasy. The writing is gorgeous and sense of loss poignant, but the plot is quite predictable.

[Casey O'Brien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trees! Women!! Magical realism!!!

This took me awhile to get into, but once I did I was hooooooked. I love a multigenerational story and these two women and young Polly (I love her) are so well fleshed out and developed. There is so much sadness and passion and urgency and care and loss in this story I feel so full after finishing it. This story speaks to me in such a special way as someone who works in conservation and is a love letter to the old trees that have seen and held us throughout our lives. Ugh I am just so full and warm after finishing this and I think it would be a brilliant book club pick!! So much to think about and discuss. The ending is perfection.

Audiobook - beautiful narration with 3 narrators to represent our 3 wonderful main characters.

[Linda Hutchinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Forest Becomes Her
Author: Julie Carrick Dalton
Source: NetGalley
Publication Date: July 14, 2026

ECO-FICTION
FICTION
MAGICAL REALISM
NATURE MYSTERIES

This book is going down as one of the most metaphysical reads for 2026. At first, I was wary of the premise and couldn’t make sense of the storyline. But, and I would encourage you, keep reading.

I like books that make you think outside of reality. This is one such book, and it involves the contemporary problem of developers who tear down (clear-cut) large batches of trees to make building new homes easier. The builders' hypocrisy in claiming the homes are eco-friendly, even after they have erased thousands of trees, is astounding, and I was once a working real estate agent. Today, as in this book, the loss of trees results in rampant flooding, forest loss, habitat loss, etc. It IS criminal.

The story revolves around one last 400-year-old oak that has always been part of a forest but is now dying. Three women, Hazel, Polly, and Stella, are the main characters and represent three different generations but are also directly impacted by the impending death of the oak. They are all connected to the silent call of nature’s mysteries.

Yes, I know this sounds unusual, but I promise it comes together. I do think this would make a good book club read. It is never too late to be concerned about the connection between humans and nature.

#TheForestBecomesHer
@juliecdalton
@netgalley
@stmartinspress
#loss
#transformation

I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for the opportunity to read this novel.

[callistoscalling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher for a gifted copy; all thoughts are my own.

📖 Book Review 📖 From Henry David Thoreau to Joni Mitchell, every generation has voices that speak for the trees. And you probably do not have to stray too far from your home base to see that they continue to “pave paradise and put up a parking lot.” Julie Carrick Dalton passionately tackles deforestation through the lens of three women in Massachusetts. Battling their own personal traumas, their paths intersect in their community known through great literary works, as the ramifications of recent overdevelopment impact this once bucolic town.

I own my bias and yes, my entire high school staged a sit-in to protest cutting down a willow tree in response to the culture changing at our school so this one really resonated with me. However, The Forest Becomes Her is a truly powerful book that carries the transgenerational struggle of balancing personal and societal gains versus protecting Mother Nature.

This story unfolds in so many layers, mirroring the deep system of roots that trees plant. Julie Carrick Dalton’s modern day nod to Transcendentalism is raw and gripping and rife with haunting heartbreak; but it is also beautifully inspiring. In a world where it’s so easy to be complacent, The Forest Becomes Her is a rallying call for action.

[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)

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written, beautifully imagined novel of transformation. Three women in different stages of their lives find themselves fighting to save the last old oak tree standing in a plot of land that’s been deforested in order to build a subdivision. Finely crafted eco-fiction with a dash of the supernatural and body horror. The language is verdant and entwined and the story completely captivating. A love letter to trees and forests and our fragile earth.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. This book is making me glad I have lots of trees in my yard and live across the street from the woods.

[Christine M in Texas (stamperlady50) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Forest Becomes Her
By: Julie Carrick Dalton
Pub Date: July 14, 2026
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Tour: MB Communications

This novel is not my normal genre, but I took a chance, and I am glad I did. The forest in Concord, Massachusetts holds many dreams and other incredible things.

The forest is destroyed when a new housing area is developed. This affects everyone.

This novel explores trauma, magic realism, multi-generational relationships, and mystery.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yeah, so The Forest Becomes Her went in a direction that I wasn’t expecting and one that was a little too weird for me.

The premise of the book sounded interesting, women of three different generations brought together in Concord, Massachusetts when an old growth forest is razed to put in a new subdivision. Polly, the youngest and still more girl than woman, watched the forest she loved be destroyed from the home she shares with her grandfather. Hazel, a young wife who moves into one of the houses with her husband, only to miscarry the daughter they were expecting in a flooding storm that was likely more damaging because of the loss of the forest. And Stella, who is compromising her principles to get by through selling the houses in the subdivision built by her brother, knowing the trees should have never been cut down.

Polly’s POV feels the most raw to me, and the most authentic. It was very easy to believe there’s a girl out there who loves nature that deeply, struggles to find friendships because of it, and doesn’t understand why adults don’t care more. Her passion for the trees, her burgeoning friendship with fellow nature lover Cass, and her bewilderment at adults’ inability to understand what is being lost because of their greed practically jumps off the pages.

It is easy to feel for Hazel too. She’s lost her child and everyone wants to deem it an unfortunate accident and move on-including her husband Toby. Not only is she in mourning, she’s angry that everyone wants to move on when someone should be accountable for her accident.

I think most people can understand where Stella is coming from. She is doing her best to make ends meet and survive while being simultaneously told she’s not worthy and too much. And she’s doing her best to be a friend to Polly, the daughter of her best friend Irene, lost to cancer.

Throughout the course of the book, Hazel and Stella come to develop the same passion for the trees as Polly, and Hazel and Polly discover betrayals hidden under good intentions.

But as I mentioned earlier, the book also gets really weird. During Hazel’s accident she incurs a gash, and after digging around in the soil gardening, the gash starts turning into bark. Stella gets a splinter in her palm trying to remove growth in her basement, and what she removes from her palm and what she can’t get out starts growing into a plant with leaves. It’s not horror exactly, but it might just give me nightmares and was not the climate fiction I was expecting to get.

I won’t give any more away than that, but feel like potential readers should know that it starts going down a very unnatural ‘natural’ path, so that if that is not the kind of vibe they’re into, they can pass on this story. That direction in the storyline was too much for me to connect with this book, though there were other aspects I thought had a lot of potential.

A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Angie Miale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julie Carrick Dalton has written a thoughtful, female-centered novel that blends climate fiction, family drama, mystery, and a touch of the surreal into something that feels both deeply personal and profoundly connected to the natural world.

The story follows three women whose lives become intertwined around a controversial housing development. Stella is a real estate agent desperately needing her next sale. Polly, known throughout the community as “Tree Girl,” is determined to save the forest she feels connects her to her late mother. Hazel is carrying immense grief and guilt after a tragic accident that cost her unborn child, and she begins experiencing a mysterious condition that changes the course of her life.

At its heart, this is a novel about what we owe the earth, what we owe future generations, and how deeply our identities can become tied to the places we call home. Polly’s fight to protect the forest gives the story a strong environmental core, while the mystery surrounding the land’s ownership adds an intriguing layer that kept me invested.

I will admit that the beginning is a slow burn. Dalton spends considerable time developing her characters and laying the emotional groundwork. My advice is to trust the author. The story eventually introduces a highly unusual element that I suspect will be divisive among readers. Some may find it too strange or even unsettling, while others will appreciate its symbolism and originality. Personally, I loved it. It reminded me of the way Shark Heart embraces the unconventional to explore grief, transformation, and human connection.

Thematically, this book brought to mind The Lorax and The Giving Tree, but for an adult audience. It examines the relationship between women, nature, caregiving, sacrifice, and renewal in ways that felt powerful and memorable. The novel asks readers to consider the value of every living thing and challenges us to think about our responsibility to the world around us.

The audiobook is excellent. With multiple narrators bringing the different perspectives to life, the performances added depth to each character. I was especially impressed by the narrator portraying Polly. Adult narrators reading child characters can sometimes feel exaggerated or patronizing, but that was never the case here. Polly’s voice felt authentic, emotional, and completely believable.

If you enjoy climate fiction, character-driven stories, books with magical or speculative elements, and novels that aren’t afraid to take risks, I highly recommend this one. It’s an unusual story, but one that has stayed with me long after I finished listening.


4.5 ⭐️

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the advanced listening copy.

[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.

[Jackie Sunday · Rating 3 out of 5]

The message is strong about the importance of trees amongst us.

The story showed the destructive impact from developers who cleared a forest to build houses not far from Boston. Sadly, all the trees were wiped out except a 400-year-old oak, thanks to a young teenager, Polly, who was determined to save it. She reminded me of the environmental activist, Greta Thunberg, when she was 15. Throughout the story, there were concerns about the uncontrolled floods, soil erosion and effect on wildlife.

At the start, Hazel while driving in a storm was caught when the road buckled. She survived but was pregnant and lost her baby. Her life was consumed with grief and she started to reflect upon Ralph Waldo Emerson’s philosophy that an Over-Soul connects all living things.

The main characters seemed to be trapped in some sort of fantasy with the trees whispering words to them. Oddly, rashes on their skin started to appear like bark and tiny pieces of leaves. It was an original way of expressing the detrimental effects of clearing forests. However, it was hard for me to grasp the idea of the imaginative tree responses with such a deep concern.

With storms getting more prevalent, removing trees is a huge issue especially where I live in the south. Developers have a rigorous process to follow with strict professional tree surveys. It was hard for me to imagine how this -- even in the northern parts -- could get approved. I would have wanted to know more about it. It’s true: corruption hurts – all of us.

My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this ARC with an expected release date of July 14, 2026. The views I share are my own.

[Angelie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Forest Becomes Her holds a lot of compelling points. For that I give it 3 stars, generously. But I personally did not connect to the story or the characters.

I felt the issues with the three women dragged on, got too sci fi (Beyond magical realism) and got overly emotionally dramatic. The pacing was painfully slow. Enough to actually make me angry. I did like parts of the story following Hazel, but I think that was more because I really liked her narrator in the audiobook.

I think the story could have used some cutting back. I don’t know why an entire chapter was dedicated to a young girl’s first period. Descriptively so. There was a lot of tangents like that throughout the book that added nothing to the main story.

I felt like I needed to be pagan or a worshipper of trees for this book. I don’t know. It did not click. I have a deep connection to the environment- to trees, to plants, to animals, to the natural world, which is why I was so compelled to read this one, but this was too cringey for me.

To be fair, I think the author writes very well, and has some educational pieces about trees and mushrooms that were interesting. I think there is a strong over arching message that is important about the way we treat the environment. I think the characters were emotionally developed, although they were all a bit “good” or “bad.” I recommend reading the 4 and 5 star reviews as well, as this book did seem to resonate with others better.


Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing the ALC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions and statements are my own.

[Stephanie Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went into The Forest Becomes Her really intrigued by its premise of three women from different generations brought together by the destruction of an old-growth forest. There’s a strong emotional core here, especially in how the story explores grief, environmental loss, and the complicated ways people cope with both.

The character’s were a highlight for me. Polly’s perspective felt especially vivid and heartfelt; her love for nature and her frustration with the adults around her came across as very real. Hazel’s grief and anger were also easy to connect with, and Stella’s internal struggles added another layer of depth. Their shared connection to the forest, and to each other, had a lot of potential and, at times, really shined.

That said, the pacing and structure made it a bit harder for me to fully settle into the story. The shifting perspectives felt somewhat disjointed early on, and it took a while for everything to come together. I was also surprised by the direction the book ultimately takes. What begins as grounded magical realism gradually shifts into something much more surreal and unsettling. While I can appreciate the ambition behind this, it wasn’t quite what I was expecting and pulled me out of the story at times.

There are some compelling ideas here, particularly around the interconnectedness of nature and humanity, and the cost of progress, but the execution didn’t fully land for me.

Overall, this was a mixed read: thoughtful and emotionally resonant in places, but uneven in pacing and tone. I’m glad I read it, even if it didn’t completely click for me.

[Leyna Odell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. The magical realism element was fantastic! There are three viewpoints shown in the book. One is Hazel, who was in an accident when the bridge she was driving on collapsed beneath her car. This resulted in the loss of her child who she was pregnant with. She is mourning her child while at the same time looking to find who is responsible for the bridge collapse. Stella is her neighbor, and she is also a realtor for the community in which they live. She was best friend with another character's (Polly) mother and promised that she would look after the girl once the mother died. Along the way, we learn that Stella may have helped her real estate developer brother do some shady things to make way for the community in which Stella and Hazel now live. Polly is a young teenager whose family has lived on a parcel of land surrounded by forests for at least three generations. When the new housing development clear cut a nearby forest to make way for the houses, Polly became insistent that she replant the trees. Along the way, she meets a friend who tells her about the fungi that help a tree communicate with other trees. Polly starts a movement to plant more trees that others soon latch onto.

The really interesting part is that Hazel and Stella start to BECOME trees. The forest is reclaiming them. This was a fascinating book about forest clearing, coming of age and reckoning with the adults in your life maybe not being what you had thought they were, and choosing what's right instead of what's easiest. I would highly recommend this book!

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

2.5 stars rounded up.

I think this book was a little bit too abstract for me. I was very excited by the premise of three women in different stages of life having a connection and desire to protect the last old oak standing in their subdivision. However, I found myself confused a lot of the time when it came to the "magical" aspect around the tree and its memories. It felt like we never got information that was actually helpful in understanding what was going on. The same descriptions were used over and over and they felt overly descriptive. That being said, the author is definitely passionate about nature and you could really feel that while reading.

Some of the characters in the book fell flat to me as well. I really enjoyed Polly, the young girl that is trying to replant the forest, because her POV felt the most compelling. Stella and Hazel just kind of made me mad for the entire book. However, I appreciated them all being in different stages of life, a young girl just starting puberty, a woman in her late 20's or early 30's ready to have kids, and a woman starting menopause. The story line that I enjoyed the most was trying to find out why the area keeps flooding, and everything leading back to Scottie and the construction. Bringing awareness to clear cutting forests for housing developments is a important topic, and I am glad that was such a focal point in the book.

I think this was a interesting premise, but didn't give me everything that I wanted from it.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit of Magical Realism for your Friday with 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑭𝑶𝑹𝑬𝑺𝑻 𝑩𝑬𝑪𝑶𝑴𝑬𝑺 𝑯𝑬𝑹 𝒃𝒚 𝑱𝒖𝒍𝒊𝒆 𝑪𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒌 𝑫𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒐𝒏, graciously #gifted by @stmartinspress #SMPEarlyReaders & @macmillan.audio #MacAudio2026 and is coming July 14th!

I don't know what I expected from this book, but this had Summerween vibes in ways the cover does not fully convey! It is not a witchy story, but there is a magic inherent in nature that cannot be suppressed in this story, and it brought forward so many themes of transformation, connection, memory, grief, and healing.

There is a girl who is transforming into a woman, a woman who is experiencing transformations connected to pregnancy, & there is a woman transforming out of her fertile years into yet another being. Throughout these changes, the ties of the forest, which has been systematically removed in their Concord, Massachusetts village, are crying out to be remembered. Memory is powerful and history is what we build from, so preservation matters, in all its complicated, and grief-filled forms.

I loved how this story made me feel with the extra audio narrated by a cast of three excellent women. They fully realized the youthful dreams of Polly, the heartbreak of Hazel, and the coming-of-middle-age strength of Stella!

It was immersive and had just the right touch of nature's marvels in both scientific terms and in the otherworldly. The connections we make matter in so many ways.

[Lilmissmolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook of The Forest Becomes Her by Julie Carrick Dalton and enjoyed it immensely. It was a compelling character driven story that focuses on three narratives- all set in present day Concord, Massachusetts. Firstly, Hazel is a young wife who recently moved into a new development that was once an “old-growth” forest. The story essentially begins when Hazel suffers a miscarriage after a horrible auto accident and how she copes with the loss. Before moving to Concord, she was a landscape architect who loved her job and nature. Secondly, Stella is a real estate agent whose lived in the area her whole life. She “looked the other way” a few times in a prior job and escaped prosecution for being a witness for the prosecution. She is trying to piece her life back together. And, thirdly, Polly is a teenage environmentalist whose mother died of cancer several years ago and whose grandfather wants to sell the family farm after the woods in their backyard were destroyed to build the new development. Together, the three women decide to protect the last oak tree standing; and in doing so, they begin to heal.

I really appreciated the unique tone and premise that nature heals all wounds. Finally, the three narrators were excellent and really brought the audiobook to life: Alexandra Ryan, Jennifer Blom, Mia Hutchinson-Shaw. I really look forward to the next audiobook by this author!

[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 George · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was fascinating and twisty! The Forest Becomes Her is literary fiction for fantasy lovers! Especially my Forest fantasy friends!

The Forest Becomes Her was an absolutely fascinating contemporary fantasy book! Following 3 different gals in a new sustainable living community. The Forest seeps into the story in a slightly creepy and mystical way.

🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲

Polly reminded me of Greta Thunburg, a 13 year old fighting for a forest, after half had been torn down for new housing developments.

Hazel suffers after a miscarriage feeling the loss of her child as well exploring the connections between her empty nursery and the botanical nursery she will need to visit to plant her backyard.

Stella rounds out the trio of women as the crone figure in this mother maiden crow triangle and as the sales agent for the community, she harbors a lot of complex emotions about her part in the forest coming down.

The Forest Becomes her is out July 14! And many many thanks to @stmartinspress for the advanced review copy! I hope to take a better picture next time I travel to the Forest! 😍💚

Would I reread? Yes, this was fun and just the right about if twists so I never knew quite where we were headed!
Would I recommend? Yes! If you love the mother maiden crone dynamic you should check this out! Also if you have a forest fantasy heart this is for you! I found myself thinking of the Once and Future Witches as I was reading this.
#theforestbecomesher

[Aleesha Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

🎙️ Narration Review

Mia Hutchinson-Shaw is quickly becoming one of those narrators I'm always happy to see on a cast list 😭 She consistently shines in women's fiction and character driven stories, and this was no exception. The three narrators did a wonderful job creating distinct voices for each POV, making it easy to settle into the story despite the shifting perspectives.

📚 Story Review

This is a reflective, character driven story about the interconnectedness of people, trees, and the natural world. At the center is Polly, a young girl desperately trying to save her beloved oak tree after developers destroy the surrounding forest. What follows is a blend of women's fiction, magical realism, environmental themes, family relationships, and a little bit of mystery.

One thing I really appreciated was how passionately this book advocates for old growth forests and conservation. The author clearly cares deeply about these issues, and that passion comes through on every page. I found myself rooting for the trees more than the humans LOL

The magical realism elements worked because they reinforced the idea that people and nature are connected in ways we often overlook. The writing itself felt lyrical, atmospheric, and occasionally unsettling. At times it almost brushed against horror territory, but never fully crossed into it. This is very much a story about multigenerational female relationships, resilience, grief, and the ways people change over time.

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

“If we have no one to share our memories with, what do we leave behind? Nothing. We’re just, like, gone. We never existed. You can’t always save a person, but you can save memories.”

The Forest Becomes Her is a novel about three women from different generations navigating the complexities of family, grief, our deep connections to the natural world, and the mysteries of nature. Set in Massachusetts, worlds collide when a centuries-old forest is demolished under the guise of progress in the form of a new, eco-friendly housing development.

There is a lot to unpack in this one, and I found myself understanding and empathizing with each character. Polly is young, still reeling after the loss of her mother, and so beautifully naive. Hazel experiences an unimaginable loss as a result of the aforementioned eco friendly housing project. And Stella is grappling with her own losses and conscience for her role in this environmental catastrophe.

I feel as if the last standing old oak tree, which these three women tirelessly attempt to save, is a metaphor for their own personal losses and traumas.

As a lover of trees I understand their importance, both in what they physically contribute to our world and in what they represent. They are grounding pillars of strength and shelter and need to be protected.

The audiobook was narrated very well. The three narrators, one each for the three main pov, really brought these characters to life, giving them each their own voice and harnessing their emotions. I especially enjoyed Polly’s narration.

Thank you @macmillan.audio for the complimentary audiobook via Netgalley and to @mbc_books for the book and the summer tour spot.