A BIT OF EARTH

Roots, both tangible and intangible, come together in this coming-of-age story.

Maria Latif is used to being defined by others as unpleasant, ungrateful, and ill-mannered, but it’s a veneer to protect herself. Grappling with the grief of being orphaned, she is now being shunted from relatives in Pakistan to live with her late parents’ friends in the U.S. All she has left is a pocketful of words that take the shape of verses interspersed between the prose, giving glimpses into her feelings and thoughts. Maria finds herself in Long Island with Mr. and Mrs. Clayborne, a strange couple cued as White. They live in an even stranger house with secrets and taboos. There’s also Mr. Clayborne’s biracial son, taciturn Colin Clayborne, whose mother, Saira, passed away. But then a bright green gecko leads Maria to a secret garden—and the possibility of friends. Despite knowing it’s off limits, Maria begins to revitalize this mysterious garden, turning the soil, finding new life, and discovering possibilities. This retelling of The Secret Garden offers an interesting twist on the classic’s colonial, racist tone. It opens with promise as the evocative text highlights Maria’s grief, isolation, and resignation at being cast adrift. Each character has their own story arc that is explored even as Maria finds ways of becoming her own person. While the book sags toward the middle, it explores themes of home, belonging, identity, and humans’ intrinsic connection to nature.

This book tackling hefty themes will grow on readers.