Memory of Water (2012)

by Emmi Itäranta

Other authors: See the other authors section.

Members	Reviews	Popularity	Average rating	Mentions
572	44	38,010	(3.85)	42
The award-winning speculative debut novel, now in English for the first time! In the far north of the Scandinavian Union, now occupied by the power state of New Qian, seventeen-year-old Noria Kaitio studies to become a tea master like her father. It is a position that holds great responsibility and a dangerous secret. Tea masters alone know the location of hidden water sources, including the natural spring that once provided water for her whole village. When Noria's father dies, the secret of the spring reaches the new military commander . . . and the power of the army is vast indeed. But the precious water reserve is not the only forbidden knowledge Noria possesses, and resistance is a fine line. Threatened with imprisonment, and with her life at stake, Noria must make an excruciating, dangerous choice between knowledge and freedom.… (more)

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It's interesting to read a dystopian book that doesn't include bows and arrows, science experiments, love triangles, and drug abuse. Memory of Water is beautifully written and thought provoking. It has a strong female lead and a strong message...

Sometimes strength is quiet. (

)

juliais_bookluvr | Mar 9, 2023 |

My review of this book can be found on my YouTube Vlog at:

https://youtu.be/ohz-_LjekBA

Enjoy! (

)

booklover3258 | Jan 6, 2023 |

Noria Kaitio is her father’s tea apprentice in a village in the occupied Scandinavian Union in New Quian. This world has been shaped by oil wars in the past and a present with little of the technology we are used to and a water shortage due to environmental contamination. About the same time her father shares the place that doesn’t exist with Noria, her mother, a scientist investigating the contaminated areas of Scandinavia, decides to take a university post in a city on the coast of New Qian.

This is Noria’s story and her thoughts as she and her friend Sanja seek to navigate the world they live in. Choices and questions of who to trust figure throughout this lyrical novel. (

)

markon | Aug 2, 2022 |

5 stars minus for "fear of China". I'm sick of that trope both in politics and in my science fiction. (

)

leahsusan | Mar 26, 2022 |

Literary view of water scarcity

Beautiful writing reveals all that happens when water becomes so limited the military takes it over and it becomes currency. (

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WiseOwlFactory | Feb 20, 2022 |

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Author name	Role	Type of author	Work?	Status
Itäranta, Emmi	Author	primary author	all editions	confirmed
Aleshyn, Andrei	Cover photo	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Itäranta, Emmi	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Johnson, Adam	Cover designer	secondary author	some editions	confirmed

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Canonical title

Memory of Water

Original title

Teemestarin kirja

Alternative titles

Memory of water (English)

Original publication date

2012

2014 (UK)

People/Characters

Important places

Important events

Related movies

Awards and honors

Kalevi Jäntin palkinto (2012)

Philip K. Dick Award Nominee (2014)

Arthur C. Clarke Award Shortlist (2015)

James Tiptree, Jr. Award Honor List (2014)

Kitschies: Golden Tentacle Award Finalist (2014)

(show all 6 items)

Epigraph

Dedication

First words

Everything is ready now.

Quotations

The ceremony is over when there is no more water.

Once the silent space around a secret is shattered, it cannot be made whole again.

Of all silences I had encountered this was the gravest and most inevitable: not the silence of secrets, but of knowing.

Last words

(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)

Disambiguation notice

Publisher's editors

Blurbers

Original language

Finnish

Canonical DDC/MDS

Canonical LCC

▾References

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Wikipedia in English (1)

Memory of Water

▾Book descriptions

The award-winning speculative debut novel, now in English for the first time! In the far north of the Scandinavian Union, now occupied by the power state of New Qian, seventeen-year-old Noria Kaitio studies to become a tea master like her father. It is a position that holds great responsibility and a dangerous secret. Tea masters alone know the location of hidden water sources, including the natural spring that once provided water for her whole village. When Noria's father dies, the secret of the spring reaches the new military commander . . . and the power of the army is vast indeed. But the precious water reserve is not the only forbidden knowledge Noria possesses, and resistance is a fine line. Threatened with imprisonment, and with her life at stake, Noria must make an excruciating, dangerous choice between knowledge and freedom.

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Haiku summary

Dystopian tale
With strong environmental
Message: bleak's the word.
(passion4reading)