One of the foremost symbols in the novel is the fate of the chestnut tree. The story begins with a foreshadowing of the devastation that will sweep the planet: naïve East Coast Americans are shocked that the formerly prevalent chestnut tree is struck by a sudden blight. It sweeps through the country, and all efforts to stop the tree-based genocide only serve to make the issue worse. The chestnut trees are the symbolic forefather of all the forests, and the failure to treat the blight foreshadows humanity’s failed response to deforestation and other ecological issues.

But tucked away on a family farm is a surviving chestnut tree. The Hoel tree grows alongside the Hoel family. It comes to define the life of separate generations, representing the growth of the family as it becomes more successful. The Hoel chestnut is an oddity and a hold out. It remains free of blight, cared for and treasured even if its owners do not know exactly why. It forms one of the final bastions of hope for the species, in the same way Patty’s seed bank will hopefully preserve endangered species.

But the family’s fortunes do not endure. Just as the family itself begins to falter, their farming business constantly losing ground to the huge agriculture businesses around them, the tree itself begins to suffer.