Trees are silent witnesses to the passing of time, guardians of myth and memory, metaphors of life. Each story in this collection has a tree of particular importance to its characters and their communities. These are tales of childhood and imagination, of migration and struggle, conflict and change. They are about specific places in Mexico, Nicaragua and the U.S., and real and imagined sites of cultural encounter, growth and adaptation. As the characters in these stories grapple with the forces of nature and the entanglement of human relationships, the trees are their companions and touchstones, reflecting, and at times shaping, the experience of their lives. These stories follow the roots and inner journeys of a variety of characters, while embodying a deep respect for the natural world around them and the power of its imagery to structure the meaning of their perceptions.
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12 reviews
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Kathy Taylor’s collection Trees and Other Witnesses is a book you’ll want to read and read again for its insights into human connections in diverse environmental landscapes. The collection, like the characters themselves, bears witness to intense challenges and struggles that shake and change the souls of all of us.
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Greater Arkansas River Nature Association’s next book study.
Kathy Taylor’s words cradle you through a sometimes gentle, sometimes tough journey that is always both human and environmental. A beautifully written exploration of these two worlds, Trees and Other Witnesses is a wonderful read.
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After I finished reading Kathy Taylor’s “Trees and Other Witnesses” I felt like I was leaving behind a dear friend, one I was not yet ready to say goodbye to. These beautiful stories are about people and trees. Reading them, I felt Taylor’s genuine compassion for people and a deep understanding of how they live. We all feel some degree of connection to trees, and Taylor captured this connection very well. You can’t help but think about your own personal stories with trees. I like that her characters and language are very diverse. Taylor inserts non-English words with such ease that her writing takes on a special flavor, the kind of flavor you always want more of. I like her writing style, a mixture of poetry and sensitivity that brought me closer to her characters. Conjoining trees with human lives never felt artificial.
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A Beautiful Read!
From the opening page, I was drawn into these stories by Taylor's poetic and meditative voice. The imagery and narrative voice will lead you into the magical world of nature and natural forces, intertwined with childhood memories and the complexities of human relationships. I was captivated and emotionally moved by each story in this collection. I highly recommend this book, and especially to those with a connection to Latin America and lovers of the natural world.
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