Penny, The Review Group's reviewer Penny for Your ThoughtsThe Review Group
Series ✦ Penny’s Take 🎧 Audiobook

When the Forest Breathes: Renewal and Resilience in the Natural World

Suzanne Simard · 2026
🎙 Narrated by Suzanne Simard (author-narrated, per Amazon/Random House Audio listing)
80/100
👍 Worth It

Suzanne Simard weaves real forest science — mother trees, generational renewal — together with her own experience raising daughters while losing her mother, and independent reviewers call it more like an engaging walk through the woods than a science lecture. It's a worthwhile listen for nature and science fans, and her own narration reportedly keeps it personal and immersive rather than textbook-y, though longtime fans of her earlier book may find some ground repeated.

✦ Penny’s Take — this is The Review Group’s own editorial assessment. Penny’s analytical review line researched this book from real sources and scored it across the lenses shown below. It’s an honest first-party read — not a page-by-page personal one. The gold ✓ Penny Tested mark is reserved for books Penny reads cover to cover herself.

▶ Listen to a sample

🎙 Narration: good Simard narrates her own book; reviewers describe the reading experience as immersive and personal rather than dry.

As an Amazon Associate and Audible affiliate, Penny earns from qualifying purchases. This never affects the verdict — see our affiliate disclosure.
Show the math
Verdict receipt0–100
Faith & family safety90
Substance / usefulness85
Craft & writing82
Originality75
Evidence & accuracy80
Hype vs delivers60
Age-fit85
Human-eye read78
Penny’s verdict80
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