The book is based on true events and written like a diary of the two years Julia Butterfly Hill spent squatting in an ancient redwood in order to protect it.

[1] Hill began treesitting in December 1997 and stopped when she made a deal with the Pacific Lumber Company.

In a first person narrative, Hill relates how she appealed to the universal spirit and spoke to the tree.

[2] Publishers Weekly found her book a "a remarkable inspirational document" whilst also disparaging her "mushy New Age ruminations".

[2] Other reviews also enjoyed the first person account of events and praised Hill's activism.