If Trees Could Talk: Life Lessons from the Wisdom of the Woods

by Holly Worton

All trees have a story.Holly Worton has spent the last few years talking to trees – the birches, the oaks, the beeches and the sycamores.

You’re probably How is it that trees can talk? Is this for real?

Trees are living, breathing organisms which humans are able to connect and talk to on a deeper level through silent, telepathic communication.

Trees have a much broader perspective on life compared to humans. Trees can live hundreds and even thousands of years.

This means Trees have thousands of years of wisdom that we’re able to tap into. Talking to the trees can bring us back to our true selves and can reflect back to us the things we need to see in ourselves. It can also be a space for deep healing.

Living in the technology age, however, we spend our lives connected to computers, mobile phones, and video games. Consequently, we've become increasingly disconnected from ourselves and from Nature.

This book is meant to gently encourage you to get back to Nature and turn to the magic and the wisdom of the trees. By reconnecting to Nature, you can improve your relationship with yourself, which will help you make better, more aligned choices in your life.

This book is for you

You love Nature and the outdoors.You feel like there’s something more to life, but you don’t know what that is.You’re feeling disconnected from yourself, like your life has somehow gotten off track.You feel like you don’t really know who you are anymore… or maybe you’ve never truly known yourself at all.Life is going just fine, but you have the notion things could be much better.Throughout this book, you’ll follow the author, Holly Worton on a journey of connecting on a deeper level with the wisdom of the trees. You’ll hear their stories, and you’ll be given a series of experiments to carry out, should you choose to do so. These will help you to connect with yourself through connecting with Nature, and they’ll open you up to the deep wisdom and healing that the trees can offer.

The trees will help you to get out of your head and into your body, so you can feel more deeply and truly experience all the JOY that life has to offer. They’ll add a new level of richness to your life that you have never thought possible.

Click the BUY NOW button and come with me on an incredible journey to the deep wisdom of the trees.

Genres: Nature, Nonfiction, Philosophy

298 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 12, 2019

About the author

Holly Worton is an author, podcaster, and publishing strategist.

She writes nonfiction books about her adventures to inspire people to get outdoors and reconnect with Nature as a way to reconnect with themselves. Holly believes that nature connection is about much more than sit spots and meditating in Nature—it's also about getting outdoors to do the things you love. Her work is about personal growth through Nature, and how going literally into the woods and spending time in Nature can help us on our own journey of personal development.

Holly enjoys spending time outdoors, walking and running long-distance trails, and exploring Britain's sacred sites. Spending time in Nature is something that she finds to be deeply nourishing—it brings her a sense of expansive joy.

Her podcast and blog are about personal growth through outdoor adventures and travel. They're about our journey into the woods of ourselves: getting to know who we are, where we are, and where we're going in life so that we can create the life we want to live. They're about deepening your connection with yourself, taking inspired action, and really trusting yourself and your intuition.

She's originally from California and now lives in England, but has also lived in Spain, Costa Rica, Mexico, Chile, and Argentina. Holly is a member of the Druid order OBOD. To learn more, visit her website at www.hollyworton.com.

Reviews

[Noah · Rating 1 out of 5]

As I was telling my friends and family about this book, and about the process of reading this book, I usually ended by saying I would probably give it two stars. It was similar to other books I recently gave two stars, which was my reasoning. Most of those conversations ended with them asking what could possibly be a one star to me. Well, now that I finally crawled across this finish line after a month and a half, this book is a one star to me.

When I read the title, I imagined that it was about environmental/historical hints provided to us by surrounding trees (e.g. what certain species of trees being in an area say about it, what different trunk shapes mean about a tree's past, etc.), when in reality it is a self help book through the lens of trees giving the advice. The author believes in connecting chakras with trees to communicate, which is not something I believe in, and it had me doubting I would enjoy the book. But, the author assures you early on that even if you don't agree/believe, there is still much to be gained from the stories.

I can't say that I agree with that, either. Most of the chapters are highly repetitive, and almost all of the advice can be boiled down to "slow down, take time for yourself, and take time for nature". All of which is good advice! But I didn't need to read it for most of the 28 chapters, and that advice alone doesn't warrant a book in my eyes. Add that to the entire premise of the book being a practice I don't believe to be real, and reading this quickly turned into small, 30 minute sessions every few days to just slowly chip away at its length.

[Granny Swithins · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was expecting to love this one, but it was soooo disappointing. Firstly, I had issues with Worton's methodology, which seemed to consist of turning up to random trees when she felt like it, then sitting and "channelling" each tree's message by recording into her mobile phone. Several times she makes it clear that she ignored or delayed a calling to a particular tree because the weather was bad or she didn't feel like it. Then every single tree she sat with basically gave her the same message: slow down and enjoy being in nature more.

Instinctively this seemed to me to be the wrong approach. Visiting trees as a one-off, when it was convenient, didn't do anything to build relationship. I've known people who've done wilderness retreats or spent a lot of time getting to know certain trees as part of their own spiritual journey, and I've spent a fair amount of time myself returning to the same tree. This personal context made me frustrated with what seemed to be a very shallow approach by Worton. Basically, you don't just turn up and talk into your phone. You return, repeatedly, you sit in silence, you listen. You might get nothing. You might get a word, an image or an instruction. You might sense an emotion. Two friends heard music. Friends have gone pale and whispered "The trees hate us." Or, according to one friend, "The pines hate us." So Worton's message just didn't feel authentic to me - the "channelling" seemed more about her subconscious telling her what she already knew she needed to hear. And of course - if you're talking, you're not listening.

Secondly - Worton's writing isn't that great. There's been an abundance of fantastic nature writing in recent years, and this book doesn't come close. The writing felt so pedestrian, lacking the vivid detail and magic that I was expecting. It's all along the lines of "I turned left out of the car park and walked through two fields, then headed up the hill. There were lots of dog-walkers around but fortunately not many of them had come this far. It was very windy and I was quite cold." (not a quote, just my impression of Worton's style!)

This combination of what seemed to be a very shallow approach to the subject and the flat style of writing meant that the book didn't really hold my interest. Usually I always download a sample before ordering a book, but unfortunately I bought this one on sight, thinking I'd love it. I still believe that there's much to be said about spending time with trees, but this book didn't come close to capturing the beauty, inspiration and sheer wild magic of the woods. Perhaps Worton needed to adhere more closely to the message she was "channelling"; slow down, listen and spend more time with the trees.

[H.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part self-help and part mystical, Holly Worton's "If Trees Could Talk: Life Lessons from the Wisdom of the Woods" is a much-needed primer and guide to taking time out to relax, quieten and declutter our mind; to connect intuitively to the ancient and deeply-rooted, loving-wisdom of Nature; to get to know its trees and the stories they each have to tell, which make up the framework for the book; and to connect with one's own real needs and higher self – things that are sadly neglected in our everyday lives of hustle and bustle and unseeing, unfeeling rush to get from A to B and back again.

It's a delight to read Holly's stories of her communication with the individual trees she encountered – each with their own history, character, personality, and story; to read about the different species of trees, and their place and reverence in pagan ways, such as that of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids; and to work on one's self and its own needs.

[Cynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read and reread The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate: Discoveries from a Secret World by Peter Wohlleben and having sat in a tree or two when younger having sat with trees while waiting for appointments or buses, I was prepared to a
find Worton's often intuitive and quiet conversations with trees to be credible.

Tree ask us to consider their nature, their experience, our shared Earthbound experience, and more.

I recommend this book to those who want to learn about the interconnectedness of Earthbound life of trees and humans.

[Lindsey Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full Review Here

I’m making a conscious effort this year to stretch myself with my reading. If Trees Could Talkby Holly Warton certainly fits did that. The book is a collection of short “stories” that Holly received from trees. She met with the trees, accepted they had something to tell her and recorded those messages.

I’m writing this review on how I found reading the book. But I’ll say it out loud: I didn’t believe. I like to think I’m open-minded, but I’m highly sceptical of this and I have my reasons. I do, however, believe the messages came from somewhere, even a deeper level of sub-consciousness, even if not the trees. Here’s one small reason why: British native trees would speak of autumn, not the fall.

But this isn’t a review on what I believe. It’s a review of the book.

Regardless of where the messages come from, some important points were highlighted. I found the beginning stories very repetitive – they constantly had the same messages of slowing down. But I read the book from start to finish, and the advice at the beginning is that you can dip in and out. This repetition may work for those reading in a different way. But if you go beginning to end, you feel like you’re hearing the same thing over and over.

Sometimes the commentary around the messages also felt repetitive – locations of the trees were explained in several ways within a few paragraphs. But it’s a very open-minded read, full of acceptance that not everyone is going to read it in the same way and that was okay. It never felt this belief system was forced.

It was also very informative: I learnt a lot about the trees and, as a fantasy writer, some of the legends surrounding the trees were really interesting and definitely something I’ll take away from the book.

There were stories that grabbed my attention. Those with messages about taking time for ourselves, putting self-care first, enjoying what you’re doing, focusing on the journey and not the end role and feeling empowered in yourself. It doesn’t matter if you directly link this to nature, or believe the message even came from nature. It made me sit up and pay attention to what I was reading, realising that I was guilty of several of the things covered: I’m goal orientated and so never contemplate my journey, only where I’m going.

The messages were relevant to today’s culture. There’s no denying that humanity need to change their attitudes towards the planet if it is going to survive. One message focused on cleaning up – both after yourself and others. Although I completely agree with the message, I found this one difficult to read. It wasn’t a message: it was an instruction. It was overbearing in the delivery and made me feel a little uncomfortable reading it, despite completely agreeing.

A very different read for me, but one I did get something out of, even if it wasn’t the intended messages.

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

A walk in the woods, a call from nature. Damage and disregard trees at your peril. Trees, as the author found out, talk all right if you can listen. At the very least take a break, a rest, a repose, walk among the giants of the planet: home to birds, bearers of fruits and berries, timber and medicine and for the unwary, poison. Take Holly Worton's book as your guide.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aaaamazing

I recommend this book to everyone
Engaging ... informative. ... brilliant. ... captivating. ... enchanting. ... motivating. ... powerful. ...

[Christine Burren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worth the quick read. Choosing this book was perhaps that subliminally I desire to connect more with nature. I suspended credulity and just went with the tales, rather than struggling with the reproducibility of actually having trees talk to you. That worked and I did still benefit from persevering with the book and exposing my mind to new concepts and some nice tales.
That said, the prose is rather pedestrian and more pleasurable reading experiences probably lie elsewhere.

[Karen Mace · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are supposed to talk to plants to help make them grow better, but what if the plants could talk back and tell us things?! Well, that's the message behind this book as the author has a special gift that means that she can hear the stories that trees are trying to share with us, and I found this to be such a fascinating and illuminating book that really makes you take time to think about yourself and the world we live in, especially relevant in these times when many parts of the world seem set on destroying as much of the natural landscape as possible. The trees have been around for a lot longer than us!! They notice things!

I've always loved trees and have driven my family mad with my 'hippy' outlook and feeling so sad whenever I hear or see a chainsaw destroying a magnificent old tree. In this book, Holly shares the time that she spends out walking and the fact that certain trees stand out to you - I've noticed this too when I'm out and about that you often feel drawn to a certain tree - and Holly has similar feelings wherever she is out exploring and the more time she spends outdoors, the more she hears.

This book is split into 3 parts and is set out in a way that you can dip in and out of it, as and when you need to! It's such a peaceful, calming book that I think it's one of those that is a pleasure to escape into. It gives you prompts of how you can use the information she shares which is a great way of interacting with the book and ideas that it throws up.

There are 28 trees and their stories featured and it's a wealth of information about the tree, the area they are in and folklore surrounding them and I found some of the stories that the trees shared with her to be very poignant and telling. Many of their messages to humans are similar and it's very wise advice in a world where we're rushing around and not noticing the little things that can bring such joy on a daily basis.

It is such a fascinating subject and I found it brilliantly told and explained and it's made me quite eager to spend more time amongst trees and also found the questions that Holly poses at the end of each story to be extremely helpful and thought provoking that it really struck a chord with me and I'll definitely be out hugging more trees in future!

[Jayne Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will open your heart. It is a brave and beautiful account of Holly’s discovery that the wisdom of the trees can truly be heard and felt when we take the time to slow down long enough to listen. May the stories it holds reach far and wide for they hold such positivity. I encourage you to take a journey through the pages with Holly and experience how much the trees have to share with you too.” Jayne Morris, Author of Burnout to Brilliance

[John Zada · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoughtful and enjoyable book about our necessary connection to natural world and the deeper perspectives it engenders.

[The Adaptable Educator · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holly Worton’s If Trees Could Talk artfully weaves poetic reflection, personal narrative, and ecological insight into a tapestry that encourages readers to listen more attentively to the natural world. At once intimate and expansive, Worton’s prose invites us to regard trees not merely as silent sentinels of our landscape but as teachers bearing vital lessons about resilience, interconnectedness, and the cycles of life.

Synopsis and Structure
The book unfolds in loosely connected chapters, each centered on a particular “lesson” drawn from the lives of trees—ranging from patience and rootedness to transformation and letting go. Worton often begins with an anecdote—perhaps a childhood memory under an ancient oak or her observations of saplings sprouting after a forest fire—and then extrapolates a broader life lesson. Interspersed throughout are passages of lyrical description: the veined pattern of a leaf, the undertones of moss on bark, the hush of dusk in a beech grove. These evocative sketches ground the conceptual reflections in vivid, sensory detail.

Thematic Resonances
One of the book’s greatest strengths lies in its ability to move effortlessly between the micro and the macro. A meditation on the wood-wide mycorrhizal network (“the Wood Wide Web,” as Worton terms it) becomes an allegory for community, mutual support, and unseen bonds among people. Likewise, the tenacity of pioneer species colonizing a burned landscape prompts us to reconsider the meaning of failure and renewal in our own lives.

Worton’s approach echoes—and at times consciously nods to—the transcendentalist tradition: Emerson and Thoreau loom in the background, reminding us that self-discovery is inseparable from communion with nature. Yet she avoids mere pastiche; her voice remains distinctively contemporary, suffused with gentle humor and grounded in scientific curiosity. This balance prevents the text from slipping into either didacticism or sentimental pastoralism.

Style and Scholarship
Although accessible, Worton’s language bears the careful precision of a scholar. Botanical terms are introduced with clarity and context, never alienating the lay reader but enriching the texture of her observations. Footnotes and brief references to studies—on tree cognition, communication, and longevity—lend intellectual rigor without weighing down the narrative flow. This blend of scientific grounding and poetic flourish positions If Trees Could Talk as both a memoiristic journey and a light primer on forest ecology.

Her sentences, often gently rhythmic, evoke the measured pace of a forest promenade. She writes, for instance, of “roots twisting like the fingers of a first-grader discovering the world” or describes the treetops’ canopy as “a cathedral of green where light itself seems to kneel.” Such turns of phrase underscore her conviction that language—and by extension, human consciousness—can draw sustenance from the living world.

Significance and Takeaway
In an era when environmental crisis looms large, Worton’s book offers a counterpoint of deep attention rather than alarm. She does not shy away from acknowledging deforestation, climate change, or habitat loss; rather, she places these urgencies within a broader moral imperative to rekindle our sense of kinship with nonhuman life. Her closing chapters, meditating on legacy and the seeds—both literal and metaphorical—that we leave behind, resonate as a quiet call to stewardship.

For readers seeking both solace and challenge, If Trees Could Talk serves as an invitation to slow down, to observe the intricate dialogues of forest life, and to apply those insights—rootedness, patience, mutual aid—to the tangled thickets of human existence.

Holly Worton’s If Trees Could Talk succeeds admirably as a reflective, well-researched work of nature writing. It occupies the fertile ground between memoir, natural history, and philosophical meditation, yielding a text that feels urgent yet unhurried. Drawing on both scientific study and lyrical imagination, Worton offers readers a nourishing encounter with the wisdom of the woods—and, by extension, a path toward deeper empathy and resilience in their own lives.

[Jyll Hoyrup · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first heard trees talk to me when visiting a park in Panama City in 2013. I promptly stopped and started writing the message they were giving me. Each tree (or anything in nature or anything in general - I have had ruins from Coba ruins in Mexico give me messages) does have a story to tell and what they told Holly may be different that what they tell me, or you. This book reminded me to stop and listen a lot more often. I was especially struck by the Grandmother Trees message - it was something I needed to hear at the time "I choose power for the good. I choose to step into my personal power; I am ready, willing, and able to step into my personal power and to live a life where I am grounded in my personal power, which I choose to use for the good." I recommend this book if you love nature, trees, channeled messages or anything along those lines. Lots of great messages from the trees Holly talked to.

[Greta · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was willing to suspend belief for a little while and hear some stories from trees but I couldn't make it past the first tree. The author claims to be able to channel trees. The first tree went on and on about how people used to live in balance with nature and the trees and that we just need to stop everything we are doing and get back to that attitude. At that point, I was unable to suspend belief anymore. Man has exploited his environment for his own benefit for thousands of years. We have not recently changed. This is simply a way for an author to lecture the reader on how it should be. I agree that we should do better, but could have gone without the fake channeling/lectures.

[Elora Canne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful way to engage with nature

Reviewed in Australia on 4 November 2022

I was transfixed by Holly's telling of the trees stories. Both her interpretation after each story, and the wisdom of the woods spoke deeply to my love of trees. I felt drawn to go to my favourite grove immediately and gently touch the trees bark as I walked through. If Trees Could Talk has definitely transformed the way I engage with nature on my walks now.

[Jeffrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, Holly goes into the woods, picks a tree, sits under it, touched it and writes down the message she receives. The first tree she interviewed turned out to be dead, but amazingly it spoke to her quite extensively. Must have been a ghost tree! Theoretically, the book should get a one, but I give it three stars for honesty and insight, mostly into her own self.

[Kay March · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book wasn't as expected.

I was expecting more from the book, maybe it's my fault not being connected to the writer's way of expressing herself as I feel when in presence of trees.

[michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wanted to like it. After reading Overstory and a few others last year I have wanted to learn more about trees and how we are eradicating this essential ecosystem. Although Im enjoying other books on subject, this was too far fetched.

[Michelle Marie McGrath · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book + found it very interesting in that it mirrored much of my own experiences with tree communication. Some great reminders about spending more time 'being' in nature, rather than rushing through for a 'walk'.

[Jennifer Boon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, it was not only fascinating and confirmed what i believed in my heart about trees, but the wisdom that came through and was shared by the trees through Holly was beautiful and profound.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some good messages but the premise of talking to trees and repeating their messages is not one I can believe. However, we do need to respect the trees and I suppose talking trees would get some people to realize they are more than wood.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a lovely book explaining how to access the deep kindness of trees.

[J.A. Crawshaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous book about communicating with trees. A must read for anyone wanting to connect with nature.

[Ulrika Eriksson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loving Trees

I liked it because it made me more resolute than ever to get out in to Nature and spend time among the trees in places I love.

[Liza Ma · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really struggled with this book, but once I viewed it as more of a fiction book and just read the stories for the trees, I enjoyed it a little more.

[Susan]

DNF

[Fatima · Rating 1 out of 5]

The first page itself is enough to get you an idea what this book is going to be like... Waste of money and time.

[Philip Cavaretta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really inspiring way of communicating with nature. Wish this was part of a high school reading curriculum

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very different than what I expected. I needed to read a book on nature for 2019's Read Harder Challenge. This book fit the bill, I thought. The author is a Druid, author of business mind set books and books about her Walking Journeys. She "recorded" her conversations with various trees in England - hearing messages such as - slow down, enjoy nature, pick up trash, enjoy the sights, sounds and feelings of nature, don't just walk by to track miles. The book recounts the lessons/suggestions from the trees at the end, provides reflection questions for journalling and resources to explore further. Too much Druid and Spirit Guide talk for me.

[Amy K · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little out there if you ask me, but since listening to this, I occasionally imagine what a tree or nature is telling me. Now it is even more difficult to overlook any piece of litter, I end up stuffing my pockets and purse, even if it's not convenient.