The Overstory

The Overstory

by

Richard Powers

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on The Overstory makes teaching easy.

Leigh Appich Character Analysis

Leigh is Adam Appich’s eldest sibling. The tree that her parents planted for her is an elm, which eventually dies of the Dutch elm disease. Leigh herself hardly notices, and also tries to get rid of the gift that Adam makes for her out of the elm’s wood. Soon after, Leigh disappears in Florida after getting into a car with a strange man and is never seen again.
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Leigh Appich Character Timeline in The Overstory

The timeline below shows where the character Leigh Appich appears in The Overstory. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Part 1: Roots—Adam Appich
Humans and Trees Theme Icon
Human Nature, Psychology, and Storytelling Theme Icon
...his mother watches. The trees correspond to each of Adam’s parents’ four children: the eldest, Leigh, has an elm, Jean has an ash, Emmett has an ironwood, and Adam has a... (full context)
Humans and Trees Theme Icon
Destruction, Extinction, and Rebirth Theme Icon
When he is 13, Adam notices that his sister Leigh’s elm tree is withering. It soon dies of the Dutch elm disease, which has killed... (full context)
Destruction, Extinction, and Rebirth Theme Icon
Human Nature, Psychology, and Storytelling Theme Icon
A few months later, Leigh disappears in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after getting into a car with a man she met... (full context)
Human Nature, Psychology, and Storytelling Theme Icon
...who should be punished. Obsessively reading the book, Adam feels better than he has since Leigh died. (full context)
Part 2: Trunk
Humans and Trees Theme Icon
Human Nature, Psychology, and Storytelling Theme Icon
Complexity, Branching, and Interdependence Theme Icon
Consciousness, Value, and Meaning Theme Icon
...be skeptical, but then he admits that sometimes he talks out loud to his sister Leigh, who disappeared when he was a child. He feels as if he has been drugged... (full context)