The Tree That Was a World
A work of unusual wisdom, Yorick Goldewijk’s story collection The Tree That Was a World introduces a tree and the creatures surrounding it.
In these pithy fables, a spider resists consuming flies, dismayed that its perfect webs never fail to catch them. A moon moth caterpillar determines to avoid metamorphosis because she’s seen the fleeting lives of her friends who transformed. Elsewhere, a bear is fatigued by his very bearness and so extends his hibernation. And a sloth who feels monitored by day frolics with greater abandon at night.
The characterizations are heartfelt and sympathetic, reflecting the creatures’ varied foibles. Throughout, their natural impulses, communal expectations, and personal reflections tug against each other with amusing results, though sometimes to the detriment of those involved. A few choices mean failing to live up to one’s potential; death is another possible consequence, as when a worker ant yearns to leave her nest.
The dreamy illustrations include details as of a starburst glint seen from underwater, moths who are otherwordly in their incandescence, and a swallow that carries its own house. There are whimsical touches, too: an ant poses in a lace collar that evokes Renaissance portraiture.
Some characters populate several stories, and single situations are seen from multiple points-of-view. Insights emerge because of this approach: One pike believes that the other is standoffish, and the other pike reveals that this isn’t true. Overt explanations are kept to a minimum; the book’s lessons are subtle, focused on how creatures perceive their own lives versus the wider truths that others can see. The tree’s narrative additions infuse mischief and splendor.
The Tree That Was a World is an inventive story collection about fauna and insects and the beauty and constraints that come from their interdependence.
Reviewed by
Karen Rigby
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
