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Why Trees
Not yet published
Expected 19 Jan 27Accomplished critic Hannah Gold makes her fiction debut in this funny, wise, curious collection of stories exploring the glorious absurdities of life in New York City
“People suffering extreme emotional states can so easily fly under the radar in this city, don’t you find?”
Across the nine stories in Why Trees, New Yorkers find themselves spotlit on a beautiful, dysfunctional stage cluttered with artists, grifters, and eccentrics all attempting to secure increasingly scarce footholds for themselves before the curtains come down. A prolific night blogger for a feminist website uses her boyfriend as a writing chair. A reality TV family hailing from Soho meets their superfan. A journalist working for an insolvent local newsroom ventures out to an artists’ encampment on Ellis Island for one final scoop. These characters’ quests—for love, creative fulfillment, a steady paycheck, a sense of belonging—are only further complicated by the follies of city financial and emotional insecurity, vanity, propinquity, and pure chaos.
Precise but playful, wry but emotionally resonant, Why Trees introduces a charming, perceptive, original voice through these sharp and memorable portraits of characters performing for mercurial audiences, seeking connection, and straining against the boundaries that have been set for them.
“People suffering extreme emotional states can so easily fly under the radar in this city, don’t you find?”
Across the nine stories in Why Trees, New Yorkers find themselves spotlit on a beautiful, dysfunctional stage cluttered with artists, grifters, and eccentrics all attempting to secure increasingly scarce footholds for themselves before the curtains come down. A prolific night blogger for a feminist website uses her boyfriend as a writing chair. A reality TV family hailing from Soho meets their superfan. A journalist working for an insolvent local newsroom ventures out to an artists’ encampment on Ellis Island for one final scoop. These characters’ quests—for love, creative fulfillment, a steady paycheck, a sense of belonging—are only further complicated by the follies of city financial and emotional insecurity, vanity, propinquity, and pure chaos.
Precise but playful, wry but emotionally resonant, Why Trees introduces a charming, perceptive, original voice through these sharp and memorable portraits of characters performing for mercurial audiences, seeking connection, and straining against the boundaries that have been set for them.
- GenresShort StoriesFiction
272 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication January 19, 2027
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to Hogarth (Will Lyman) and NetGalley for the egalley of this book.
Why Trees is an excellent collection of stories by Hannah Gold. In subject matter, the nine stories in the book share a fairly contemporary view of a segment of people in New York City struggling to make a living through creative work. We meet bloggers, writers, journalists, actors, people in publishing all hustling, struggling to make rent, cobbling together careers through odd jobs. There is almost an anthropological feel to these stories as we watch the characters negotiate a harsh environment, navigating the thin lines between success and failure, friend and foe, companionship and loneliness. They exist on the perimeter of a stable life and career doing what they love, but they can't seem to find a way to cross that line to a world of security and health insurance. There are no lucky breaks. In the story "Cute Animals," there's a sentence that could be used to describe the characters in Why Trees as people who "quietly nursed purposes much more ambitious and imaginative." There's a bit of heartbreak present in the line, an admission not of failure but of ambition thwarted. Because the struggle continues.
But that doesn't mean the stories are sad or downcast. The stories are all humorous, although they vary in the level of comedy. The first-person narrators we meet are whip-smart, sarcastic, funny, and self-deprecating but still capable of lobbing a pointed comment about someone else. All the stories convey a sense of deep observation, a sense of deep understanding of this world and how it functions, what it takes to get by. You can almost feel the effort and anxiety that it takes to live this way, and you can sense from Gold's lovingly acerbic writing that these characters wouldn't have it any other way.
Why Trees is an excellent collection of stories by Hannah Gold. In subject matter, the nine stories in the book share a fairly contemporary view of a segment of people in New York City struggling to make a living through creative work. We meet bloggers, writers, journalists, actors, people in publishing all hustling, struggling to make rent, cobbling together careers through odd jobs. There is almost an anthropological feel to these stories as we watch the characters negotiate a harsh environment, navigating the thin lines between success and failure, friend and foe, companionship and loneliness. They exist on the perimeter of a stable life and career doing what they love, but they can't seem to find a way to cross that line to a world of security and health insurance. There are no lucky breaks. In the story "Cute Animals," there's a sentence that could be used to describe the characters in Why Trees as people who "quietly nursed purposes much more ambitious and imaginative." There's a bit of heartbreak present in the line, an admission not of failure but of ambition thwarted. Because the struggle continues.
But that doesn't mean the stories are sad or downcast. The stories are all humorous, although they vary in the level of comedy. The first-person narrators we meet are whip-smart, sarcastic, funny, and self-deprecating but still capable of lobbing a pointed comment about someone else. All the stories convey a sense of deep observation, a sense of deep understanding of this world and how it functions, what it takes to get by. You can almost feel the effort and anxiety that it takes to live this way, and you can sense from Gold's lovingly acerbic writing that these characters wouldn't have it any other way.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
As someone who's been in NYC for over the past decade, I enjoy reading works that center in this city, so "Why Trees" was an easy yes for me. This collection of stories is Hannah Gold's first published book and includes a myriad of narratives and characters, all told from the first person perspective of a woman.
While short stories aren't a frequently read genre of mine, I have to admit that I struggled with these - some were intriguing with unique premises ("Notes on the Boyfriend Chair" detailing the writer's use of her boyfriend as a writing seat, "The First Actor" where an actress is forced to work together with the daughter of a man she dated over two decades earlier) with characters that were dealing with a number of true-to-life circumstances: finding meaning or progressions in their careers, struggling with romantic relationships or friendships, and even just making ends meet in a capitalist society. Yet, I had difficulty connecting with any of the protagonists in these short stories and the plot and focus seemed to unfocused more often than not.
Perhaps this is just isn't the work for me, but I'm sure other readers will appreciate Gold's writing style and wit.
While short stories aren't a frequently read genre of mine, I have to admit that I struggled with these - some were intriguing with unique premises ("Notes on the Boyfriend Chair" detailing the writer's use of her boyfriend as a writing seat, "The First Actor" where an actress is forced to work together with the daughter of a man she dated over two decades earlier) with characters that were dealing with a number of true-to-life circumstances: finding meaning or progressions in their careers, struggling with romantic relationships or friendships, and even just making ends meet in a capitalist society. Yet, I had difficulty connecting with any of the protagonists in these short stories and the plot and focus seemed to unfocused more often than not.
Perhaps this is just isn't the work for me, but I'm sure other readers will appreciate Gold's writing style and wit.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
E-ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
I want to thank Hogarth (Will Lyman) and NetGalley for this ARC.
Why trees is a collection of beautifully written short stories by Hannah gold that follows different people living in New York, each having a uniquely different experience.
While the writing in this book is beautiful, and the dysfunctional nature of each character feels deeply human in a way that is endearing, I unfortunately did not enjoy this book as much as I would have liked to. This is my first time reading a short story collection, so perhaps this style of writing is not meant for me, but I felt I could not connect to any character in particular and any time I came close to getting into the story, it ended. I’m definitely open and interested in reading other short story collections to explore the writing style, and would be interested in reading a novella or full length novel from this author, but this was just not for me.
Objectively, I would give this book a 3.5 stars but personally it is a 2 star read.
I want to thank Hogarth (Will Lyman) and NetGalley for this ARC.
Why trees is a collection of beautifully written short stories by Hannah gold that follows different people living in New York, each having a uniquely different experience.
While the writing in this book is beautiful, and the dysfunctional nature of each character feels deeply human in a way that is endearing, I unfortunately did not enjoy this book as much as I would have liked to. This is my first time reading a short story collection, so perhaps this style of writing is not meant for me, but I felt I could not connect to any character in particular and any time I came close to getting into the story, it ended. I’m definitely open and interested in reading other short story collections to explore the writing style, and would be interested in reading a novella or full length novel from this author, but this was just not for me.
Objectively, I would give this book a 3.5 stars but personally it is a 2 star read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I admired *Why Trees* more than I loved it. Hannah Gold has a wonderfully witty, observant voice, and there were plenty of sentences that made me stop and smile at how cleverly they captured the absurdities of modern life. The humor is dry, sharp, and often the strongest part of the collection.
That said, I never felt fully engaged by the stories themselves. While each one offers an interesting premise and keen social observations, I found myself appreciating the writing at the sentence level more than becoming invested in the characters or where the narratives were headed. The collection is consistently smart and funny, but it kept me at a slight emotional distance.
Still, if you enjoy literary fiction that prioritizes voice, wit, and incisive observations over plot, there's a lot to appreciate here. Even when a story didn't entirely resonate with me, Gold's prose almost always did.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars
That said, I never felt fully engaged by the stories themselves. While each one offers an interesting premise and keen social observations, I found myself appreciating the writing at the sentence level more than becoming invested in the characters or where the narratives were headed. The collection is consistently smart and funny, but it kept me at a slight emotional distance.
Still, if you enjoy literary fiction that prioritizes voice, wit, and incisive observations over plot, there's a lot to appreciate here. Even when a story didn't entirely resonate with me, Gold's prose almost always did.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars
August 18, 2026
Thank you Horgath (Will Lyman) and NetGalley for giving me an e-ARC!
I always admire reading stories of people not being quite where they want to be, but a lot closer than they think to their end goal. “Why Trees: Stories” by Hannah Gold is a collection of short stories of New Yorkers who struggle to make ends meet while working their creative jobs and pursuits.
It’s an eclectic group—the blogger’s story being my favorite—who all have bigger dreams and ambitions for their gifts but reality comes crashing down upon them. I would say, this book appeals more to those who have a somewhat more jaded look at the modern job market/economy, as there’s a lot of moments of “well, what do you expect?” However, there’s still an underlying hope that I find to be charming.
Overall, if you enjoy short story fiction with a somewhat overlapping environment, then I think you’ll enjoy this collection.
3.75/5 stars
I always admire reading stories of people not being quite where they want to be, but a lot closer than they think to their end goal. “Why Trees: Stories” by Hannah Gold is a collection of short stories of New Yorkers who struggle to make ends meet while working their creative jobs and pursuits.
It’s an eclectic group—the blogger’s story being my favorite—who all have bigger dreams and ambitions for their gifts but reality comes crashing down upon them. I would say, this book appeals more to those who have a somewhat more jaded look at the modern job market/economy, as there’s a lot of moments of “well, what do you expect?” However, there’s still an underlying hope that I find to be charming.
Overall, if you enjoy short story fiction with a somewhat overlapping environment, then I think you’ll enjoy this collection.
3.75/5 stars
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Authors are often told "write what you know." But they should also be reminded to not ONLY write what they know. Reading through the first few stories of Hannah Gold's collection, I was convinced this was the Generation Z version of Gen X's Sex in the City or the Millennial's Girls. The protagonist only seemed to be a low-luck writer trying to make it big while hanging out with their similarly underemployed depressed friends. If you're out of that target demographic, the personality gets tiresome after a while.
Luckily Gold's repertoire seemed to enlarge as the book progressed. The book deals with difficult families, reality television, but then back to failing to make it as an artist (or author or actor or whatever). If you're stuck in late capitalism/early feudalism with a degree in the humanities and an age under thirty, these might fuel your dark sense of humor and your desperation. The rest of us might benefit from moving on.
Luckily Gold's repertoire seemed to enlarge as the book progressed. The book deals with difficult families, reality television, but then back to failing to make it as an artist (or author or actor or whatever). If you're stuck in late capitalism/early feudalism with a degree in the humanities and an age under thirty, these might fuel your dark sense of humor and your desperation. The rest of us might benefit from moving on.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I agree with another reviewer who said they admired this collection more than they loved it. I admired the prose style and wittiness of the stories. It is evident that the author is an interesting writer with an interesting perspective. Still, I had to reread these stories to really understand them. Sometimes the quirkiness level distracted from the storytelling. You really have to sit with these stories. I would be interested to see how I process this as an audiobook. Definitely worth the read; however, if you are someone who groans about literary fiction's obsession with writers living in NYC, this is not the book for you.
Thank to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Thank to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to Netgalley and Hogarth for the ebook. This is a very smart and charming book of short stories. There’s a young woman trying to cash in on being in an early version of a family reality show back when it was more of a documentary than a launching pad for influencers. A night blogger users her boyfriend as a chair one night to stand out from the sea of other bloggers. The book is filled with smart women living in New York who are trying to find their place in acting, the publishing world and even journalism. A really fun collection.
September 17, 2026
Strong begining and ending but the stories in between were hard to get through.
Some too descriptive, like mapping out a story before actually telling it. Other simply boring (I feel so bad writing this!)
Overall, the first story specifically makes me want to read more from this author.
2.5 stars, meaning it was difficult to get through.
I received this ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
Some too descriptive, like mapping out a story before actually telling it. Other simply boring (I feel so bad writing this!)
Overall, the first story specifically makes me want to read more from this author.
2.5 stars, meaning it was difficult to get through.
I received this ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I am admittedly not a huge fan is short stories, and as usual this just wasn’t really for me. Each story centered on a person living in NYC, and some of them I resonated with, others not so much. More than anything, I am always left wishing the good stories were a full novel instead of a short story. The writing, however, was beautiful!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews