Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Jun 2014
272 pages
Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Speculative, Alt. History
Publication Information
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.
"Starred Review. The writing is gorgeous and delicate in this dystopian award-winning debut, which is unique in both its setting and the small scale that Finnish author Itäranta employs." - Library Journal
"Itäranta's fine debut is lyrically rendered, vivid and engaging despite a bit too much philosophy and a less-than-satisfying ending." - Kirkus
"Memory of Water is an emotionally nuanced moral study that draws its tensions from love, choices and the mark we all leave on the world. Both in terms of style and themes this book is reminiscent of the work of the American Ursula Le Guin." - Helsinki Times (Finland)
"I can't remember the last time I read a story so beautifully written and wise! Emmi Itaranta's debut is immediately absorbing, despite the fact that I thought I hated science fiction." - Me Naiset Magazine (Finland)
"Memory of Water is a magnificent addition to the field of Finnish speculative fiction and gives permission to expect a lot from its author in the future." - The Morning Newspaper (Aamulehti, Finland)
"Itaranta's language is springwater clear." - Savon Sanomat (Finland)
"Emmi Itaranta's language is carefully crafted, precise and just right. Lyricism and water-related metaphors ease the reader into the rhythm of the book like into the tea ceremony that is central to the story." - Voima (Finland)
This information about Memory of Water was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Emmi Itaranta holds two MA degrees, one in Drama and another in Creative Writing. Her award-winning debut novel Memory of Water (Teemestarin kirja) was published in Finland in 2012. She writes fiction in Finnish and English, and is currently working on her second novel. She lives in Canterbury, United Kingdom. www.emmiitaranta.com
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