Noria Kaitio's father is the last in a long line of male
tea
masters. Despite her gender, Noria's father has been
training Noria for the role of tea master. Tea Masters
have
traditionally held a lot of power and responsibility, as
they have hidden knowledge of water. Water usage is
strictly
controlled by the military as global warming has decimated
the earth. What choices will Noria make when tensions
heighten and water becomes even scarcer than before?
MEMORY OF WATER is a very bleak and somewhat disturbing
portrait of a world in which global warming has destroyed
earth as we currently know it. Emmi Itäranta does a
marvelous job at painting a dark, grim world in water has
become a far more precious commodity than gold. I love how
Norian and her friend, Sanja, comb through the debris of
the
past, seeking items that can be repaired or used for
parts;
it gives a very vivid message about how many of our items
are not biodegradable and can last for generations.
However, the weightiness of the world itself, coupled with
a
somewhat preachy tone, makes MEMORY OF WATER a book that
is
far too easy to put down. Noria's own confusion and
ambivalence about her relationships with her family, her
friend, and even her own village also make her a very
unreliable narrator and thus the ending leaves the reader
with more questions than answers. I wanted to like MEMORY
OF WATER a lot more than I did.
Emmi Itäranta's lyrical writing style is highlighted in
MEMORY OF WATER. Her descriptions of water are quite
stunning, enabling readers to easily envision the power
water has in this desolate society. I only wish we had
less
preachiness and more plot development as MEMORY OF THE
WATER
has the potential for being a classic tale otherwise.
An amazing, award-winning speculative fiction debut novel
by
a major new talent, in the vein of Ursula K. Le Guin.
Global warming has changed the world’s geography and its
politics. Wars are waged over water, and China rules
Europe,
including the Scandinavian Union, which is occupied by the
power state of New Qian. In this far north place,
seventeen-year-old Noria Kaitio is learning to become a
tea
master like her father, a position that holds great
responsibility and great secrets. Tea masters alone know
the
location of hidden water sources, including the natural
spring that Noria’s father tends, which once provided
water
for her whole village.
But secrets do not stay hidden forever, and after her
father’s death the army starts watching their town—and
Noria. And as water becomes even scarcer, Noria must
choose
between safety and striking out, between knowledge and
kinship.
Imaginative and engaging, lyrical and poignant, Memory of
Water is an indelible novel that portrays a future that is
all too possible.
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