Savi and the Memory Keeper

August 28, 2023
The weather is always ideal in the city of Shajarpur, 1,500 miles away from Delhi’s smog-steeped streets. Following her father’s abrupt death, moving to Shajarpur from Delhi is the fresh start that 13-year-old Savitri Kumar, her mother, and her older sister need. After she discovers that touching the foliage in her father’s beloved plant collection conjures visions of the past and present, Savi worries that the peace she craves may still be out of reach. Things worsen when the massive tree on her new school’s grounds shares with her messages of impending environmental strife. As she grows closer to Tree and discovers more about her father through her visions, her interest in plants and the changing climate deepens, prompting her to join her school’s environmental club. But bullying by popular “Very Cool and Hip” classmates raise feelings of inadequacy in Savi. Heavy-handed environmental messaging and over-the-top villains sometimes detract from the overarching narrative, which teems with vibrant and intriguing cultural details that make the fictional setting spring from the pages. Savi’s family’s individual experiences with grief encourage rumination on mental health and recovery, while brief mentions of class and caste discrimination will inspire conversation. Ages 12–up.