"It may not always be the obvious, well-known and gigantic dangers in life that one should be aware of. It may well be the little, soft, furry, seemingly harmless things, that we easily ignore, that slip up on one and cause much potentially deadly, damage to us."
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Cottonwood, An Observation by J.P. Lucas Trafford Publishing
book review by Wendy Strain
What makes this book so charming is the unique point of view as the entire story is told from the perspective of a single cottonwood tree. Beginning with its first foray out of the seed and extending through 85 years of life, the story reveals the massive changes that took place in that region of the country. The tree's life spans begins in the relatively untouched plains and ends after the development of the modern city.
The lessons learned by the tree as it progresses through its life are lessons that should be learned by us all. As it struggles to survive in a landscape filled with hungry wild animals, trampling buffalo, and harsh weather conditions, it demonstrates the power of will to overcome odds. Although the tree witnesses some truly spectacular natural scenes during its vigil, it quickly understands the deadly nature of humanity as something that exceeds the violence already present in the natural world. Even as it begins to reach its full height and power, the tree is made to realize its own powerlessness to effect change.
As should be expected in a novel written from the perspective of a tree, much of the story is told in narrative format with an overabundance of commas. This style provides plenty of space for gorgeous descriptions that flow as if from the brush of an artist. It also offers the room to discuss philosophies regarding the nature of life and death as it flows past the tree. Rather than keeping the entire narrative focused on the tree, though, the author occasionally breaks perspective to alert the reader to other major events occurring elsewhere in the world or to bring the reader up to date on a given human character that appears for a while at some point in the life of the tree.