Through interwoven narratives spanning multiple generations, the novel explores themes of environmental activism, the interconnectedness of living things, and humanity's relationship with the natural world.

The book received widespread critical acclaim and won several major literary awards, including the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the 2020 William Dean Howells Medal.

Critics praised Powers's narrative structure, focus on environmental themes, and his ability to weave together scientific facts about trees with human drama.

[5] By combining scientific facts about trees with compelling human drama, Powers creates a novel that is both a work of fiction and a call to environmental action.

In The New York Times, author Barbara Kingsolver praised its ambitious scope and intricate narrative structure, which she compared to the rings of a tree.

[16] Similarly, author Ron Charles, in The Washington Post, provided an enthusiastic endorsement, declaring that the "ambitious novel soars up through the canopy of American literature and remakes the landscape of environmental fiction".

Writer Benjamin Markovits lauded the book as an "astonishing performance", praising Powers's ambitious narrative structure and profound exploration of humanity's relationship with trees.

While noting the novel's vast scope, Markovits emphasized how Powers successfully maintained a compelling and cohesive storyline, weaving together multiple characters' lives to underscore the interconnectedness of all life.

[23] Critics noted the work's formal innovation, with the Kenyon Review stating it "demonstrates that a novel doesn't have to come down to human emotion" and represents "an argument that Wood's obsession with character... is actually a limitation".

While acknowledging its environmental urgency, The Spinoff noted uncertainty about whether the novel ultimately functioned as "a work of exultation or of mourning", reflecting broader debates about climate fiction's tonal challenges.

Its 2019 Pulitzer Prize win brought mainstream attention to ecological fiction, though some general readers found its complex structure challenging.

[25] The Overstory has had an impact on both literature and environmental movements: Awards Honors In February 2021, it was reported that Netflix was developing a television adaptation of the novel with David Benioff, D.B.