Bijal Vachharajani

. I misread the title -and- misunderstood the synopsis. The synopsis I got was super vague, though. I thought Savi herself would be a memory keeper, kind of a magical realism book. That she'd hold memories of people before the grief set in. No, this is a book about a magical tree who keeps the memories. It lets Savi have memories of her late father, and also raises awareness of humans ruining its habitat. I was not the intended audience for this. I couldn't relate to anyone, despite wanting to. The whole time, I felt like I was missing something. The buildup of whether the tree would die or be cut down was--um, I thought I was getting a different book. Just--okay. I do hope others enjoy it. I wasn't the intended audience for it..… (mehr)

If Savi were to make a list of things that were the absolute worst, moving to Shajarpur would be right on top. Well, right after the point about missing her father. And death. And her new school, with the most stuck-up of classmates.

Worse, she is now part of an eco club in which they make fun of her for not having enough green gyaan. And those stuck-up classmates seem to be her new friends.

Wait, what? How did that happen?

But Savi is too busy figuring out why in the world she, a certified brown thumb, is suddenly able to talk to us (her plants) and to the ginormous ficus tree, whose heartwood seems full of secrets.

Funny, thoughtful and deeply moving, this is a story of loss, climate change and the magical power of...

Ahem. Actually, why don't we just let Savi tell it now?… (mehr)