The world is running out of water.

That is fact in the Teemestarin kirja (Memory of Water in English) novel by Emmi Itäranta. Thanks to global warming people no longer have unlimited access to water. Instead, they have rationed allowances that are only barely enough to satisfy all the human needs.

In this world lives a girl, Noria, as the daughter, and thus successor, of a tea master. It is ancient tradition that all tea masters are also keepers of water. Considering the shortage of water it has hardly been the case for decades. In Noria's family, however, this tradition is still in practice. As water usage is strictly monitored it is a risk and a great threat to hold such a secret. Her family and she herself have to hide their spring and use its water responsibly yet so that the privilege doesn't show. So that their flourishing garden and little need of black marker sold water won't raise suspicion.

The simple baseline for the novel was really intriguing to me. The fact that with our current rate of splurging of water and resources could -and if not stopped will- lead to alike circumstances makes it all the more interesting if not even worrying. Also having studied biology I felt a teeny connection to that knowledge and started pondering how such an ecological problem could be solved.

I think that Itäranta has depicted a really fascinating possibility for the future. Not fascinating as in something to strive towards, but a believable and well thought out outcome. The way she visions the future of the blue planet really is thought provoking.

When it comes to the plot, I was surprised to find something so different to what I am used to in most books; The pace is unique and the narration very emotive. For example, the ending took me by surprise both by the way things ended up going and by how quickly it came. The book just ran out of pages. As a whole the story telling struck me as a bit queer, but I don't think it was a bad thing.

All in all, I recommend adding this book to your to read list simply because the theme is so actual.

Also, books like this coming from Finland are always really great news and I love to find new ones to share!

-Anna