It’s almost time to launch SAFE HARBOR – my sixth novel and my second novel-in-verse! I can’t believe how fast 2024 has flown! If you haven’t ordered your copy yet, here is the link: https://buff.ly/3XLA0eK
And… here below is the photo of the seal who inspired the novel, “lying like a sack of rice” on the sands of the beach near my home, in my Ocean State.
This seal was fine – but of course, as an author, seeing it made me wonder – what if there were another seal, and that one wasn’t fine – and I saw two brown kids saving a seal – and I had to find out who they were – and they led me to SAFE HARBOR. Here’s artist Oriol Vidal’s exquisite visual conception of Geetha and Miguel, and Santo the seal.
Yesterday I had the honor to chat with book champion Jennifer LaGarde and she noticed that Geetha is holding a flute. A simple Indian bamboo flute, like the one below. I love this instrument so much because it creates music so organically, with so little mechanics, and with just the principles of physics at play – and yet the music it can create can be so rich, so emotional, so vital. As I write these lines, I am reminded of the recent demise of the person I consider to have been the world’s greatest percussionist – Ustad Zakhir Hussain. I had the honor of hearing Zakhir-ji live more than once – and it was one of the most amazing, blessed experiences of my life.
Geetha’s flute brings a touch of realistic magic to SAFE HARBOR – reminding us that it’s not merely science that can save our planet. I’m an oceanographer, of course, so I’m not dissing science at all. It’s vital. But equally as vital are our ancient, traditional, healing and wholesome paradigms of the connectedness of creation. Music, to me, and to my protagonist, Geetha, is a universal language that connects all creatures on Earth – and through music, Geetha remains rooted in her heritage and reaches out to the seal. If you’re wondering – I play the veena, not the flute – and unlike Geetha I am NOT a gifted musician!
SAFE HARBOR, as I have discussed on other blogs, also has the first wonderful mother who lives with depression and anxiety that I’ve met in the pages of books – although I’ve met many in real life. She is independent, she’s there for her child, she breaks the stereotype of the adult failure with mental health issues (a stereotype that still unfortunately prevails in kidlit) – and I love her. I also love Miguel’s mom and Dr. Williams – powerful BIPOC women scientists who are part of the cast of SAFE HARBOR. I love the fact that in these pages, BIPOC female scientists are the norm (which they certainly weren’t when I began my journey toward my doctorate in oceanography).
So here’s to you, dear reader. Thank you for supporting my work. I hope you’ll love SAFE HARBOR and dive deep more than once to enjoy experiencing the many layers of complexity that lie beneath the surface of this story. I hope that it will leave you feeling empowered, just as Geetha does when she begins with trying to save one animal, which leads to other small steps to save our green earth and its blue seas, which in turn lead to dreams and larger actions to combat climate change and help preserve our planet and conserve all living creatures. Because no matter how large adversity may appear to loom, a heart filled with hope will never sink. Hope, as Geetha says, “is a cork that never stops bobbing on the waves of life’s ocean.”
I’m thrilled to share that I have created a brand-new fun and interactive presentation for grades 3-8 with environmental tie-ins. Do reach out to me through my Speaking Agency, The Author Village. My wonderful publisher has also helped arrange events in January to celebrate the launch – which I’ll share on my blog soon. In the meantime, you can also find a starter list of background resources to which I will be adding, if you choose to use SAFE HARBOR as a read aloud!
May you enjoy the end of this year – and sail smoothly into the next. May 2025 be filled with many a SAFE HARBOR for you.
Order Safe Harbor (176p. Penguin/Nancy Paulsen. Jan. 2025. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780593112502): https://buff.ly/3XLA0eK
Author’s Speaking Agency: https://theauthorvillage.com/presenters/padma-venkatraman/
