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The Forest Becomes Her
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Expected 14 Jul 26The 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.
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.
- GenresFictionAdult Fiction
336 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication July 14, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
September 20, 2025
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
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
January 19, 2026
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.
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.
February 3, 2026
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)
(Thanks goodreads for the giveaway)
February 22, 2026
The type of book I’d read while drinking herbal tea, inhaling incense, doing crystal therapy, and aligning my chakras.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
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.
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.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
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.
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.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
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.
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.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
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.
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.
March 30, 2026
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
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
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
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.
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.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I love Julie Carrick Dalton's books. Partly because she writes climate fiction without lapsing into the cardinal sin of the genre: making the book feel like a lecture wrapped up in a story. But also because she is the master of sinking character roots in deep and making you love and feel for the characters in a way that transcends the page. The setup: a centuries-old forest in Concord, Massachusetts, has been ruthlessly and ironically clear-cut for an "eco-friendly" housing development, and three women who are pulled together around the last surviving oak tree. What makes the book unusual is that those three women are at completely different physical moments in their lives. Polly is a teenager, Hazel is about to become a mother, and Stella is moving through menopause. The novel is simultaneously emotional and visceral, a work of magical realism with a light (but purposeful!) touch of body horror. Dalton truly takes the idea of tree-hugging to another level. One thing is for certain: you won't be able to put it down.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
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!
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!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I couldn't wait to finish this book--so I could read something I liked!! A definite outlier here. Started out ok, but as I continued, more and more disbelief and so many "oy" and "oh, please" moments.
Chapters devoted to the stories of three different women: Polly, a teen; Hazel, a young wife, and Stella, a realtor and the best friend of Polly's late mother. The three women are drawn together in a battle over an oak tree. in their town of Concord, Massachusetts. I didn't dislke any of the women [which often throws a story for me]; instead anger directed at the prime target, Scottie--Stella's real estate-developer brother.
The further into the book, the weirder it got. There were many instances when I just wanted to walk away--but I persevered til the end. I'm sure there is an audience for this book; it just isn't me.
I can't recall when I ever rated a book so low.
I couldn't wait to finish this book--so I could read something I liked!! A definite outlier here. Started out ok, but as I continued, more and more disbelief and so many "oy" and "oh, please" moments.
Chapters devoted to the stories of three different women: Polly, a teen; Hazel, a young wife, and Stella, a realtor and the best friend of Polly's late mother. The three women are drawn together in a battle over an oak tree. in their town of Concord, Massachusetts. I didn't dislke any of the women [which often throws a story for me]; instead anger directed at the prime target, Scottie--Stella's real estate-developer brother.
The further into the book, the weirder it got. There were many instances when I just wanted to walk away--but I persevered til the end. I'm sure there is an audience for this book; it just isn't me.
I can't recall when I ever rated a book so low.
April 11, 2026
The Forest Becomes Her is a stunning novel that explores female rage, grief, and environmentalism with just a touch of magic. Taking place in a newly developed subdivision built over what was once a thriving forest, now reduced to a graveyard of trees. Three women spanning generations become intertwined as they try to save the old oak in the center of the Oak Run subdivision. This book is beautifully written, and I personally loved the way the character's grief was woven throughout the story; melancholy seemed present on every page, but it was also paired with hope and love, which made for a nice balance in the narrative. The magic element and the mystery behind it really hooked me; its allegory is truly stunning and will make readers think about their own grief and trauma in a new light. This book is sure to be a new speculative fiction favorite and perfect for your next book club.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
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.
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.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
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.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
This was my first Good Reads Giveaway book and I believe it was fate. I've never heard of this author, nor read a book quite like this. I'm already a tree lover but this story of womanhood, nature and ecological destruction has re-established my deep love and appreciation for mother nature. The concept of deep connections within each other, nature and our surroundings was a gentle reminder for me to open my eyes in this fast evolving world. The ending wasn't predictable, it was well written, and I loved how the end came to unfold. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. I will be reading other books written by this author. Thank you for the opportunity to read this before the rest of the 🌎 world.
September 22, 2025
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.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received a free DRC of this book through Netgalley and the publisher. This book is about three different women at different points in their lives: puberty, child-bearing years, and menopause and their relationships with each other and with nature, specifically the trees there were in their HOA neighborhood. The book veers into horror movie material at times, but is never boring. The book makes it feel as if it's natural to become one with nature despite the horrifying (to me) descriptions of the change. I'm still coming to terms with how I feel about this book. It's definitely unique.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Forest Becomes Her has a compelling story idea that had me immediately interested. The characters are well written and I could relate to and feel for each one. I really enjoyed that the characters were well developed and their relationships between eachother continued to build as the story went on. I enjoyed the magical realism aspect of the story but it did take a turn I wasn't fully prepared for. The writing style kept me interested and turning pages. Be aware of your triggers because there is pregnancy loss. 🫶♥️
February 12, 2026
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.
February 24, 2026
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.
Review of advance copy received from Author
A beautifully wrought tale that intertwines motherhood, Mother Nature, and mysticism in unexpected ways. Dalton’s lyrical storytelling captures the aching pull of the land and the bonds that tether us to one another. Dalton is a gifted storyteller with magic in her pen.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This one was a bit darker than I expected, but it was a great read all the same. I may just be waking up with scenes from this one in my head for weeks to home. It hit that hard and makes quite the mark on you.
Read
February 24, 2026Thank 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.
A deeply thought provoking environmental story. Three extraordinary female characters and one beautiful tree.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
This was the strangest book that I have ever read. 🤨
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April 2, 2026This book was interesting. I liked the different perspectives and the symbolism.
September 12, 2025
I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss. It is scheduled to be published July 14, 2026.
This story is both down-to-earth (literally) and magical.
I loved the characters with their diverse histories and viewpoints.
I look forward to publication, so that more people get to read this book.
This story is both down-to-earth (literally) and magical.
I loved the characters with their diverse histories and viewpoints.
I look forward to publication, so that more people get to read this book.
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