The Overstory
by Richard Powers
Richard Powers is the only American on the shortlist besides Kushner, and like Kushner, his nominated book, The Overstory, is also a New York Times best-seller. With twelve novels and a National Book Award under his belt, Booker made the longlist for the Man Booker Prize back in 2014, though this is his first time on the shortlist. “The Overstory, a novel about trees and people who understand them, is the eco-epic of the year and perhaps the decade. Unlike the Lorax, who spoke for the trees, Richard Powers prefers to let them do their own talking,” writes Leanne Shapton, one of the judges for the 2018 prize.
