Publisher's Synopsis
In a modest African village where dawn arrives softly over a cluster of twelve huts, ten-year-old Naledi is drawn to an ancient tree so immense it seems to embrace the sky. While her neighbors stir to daily chores; tending goats, preparing dough, or quietly scanning the horizon; Naledi slips away to rest her hand against the tree's weathered trunk. In its gentle rustle, she feels not just the echo of older times, but also a fragile innocence that she senses slipping from the world.
When city surveyors arrive, armed with talk of "progress" and the promise of compensation, the Great Tree's future stands in sudden jeopardy. Some villagers waver, tempted by the prospect of change, while others cling fiercely to a heritage rooted in the tree's mighty branches. Determined to preserve the beating heart of her community, Naledi clutches a mended flute; a lingering gift from her father; and resolves to show them all that the tree's power lies in more than just wood and roots. It embodies a purity and unity they are in danger of losing.
Root Notes explores how an age-old symbol; part guardian, part silent historian; tests the village's collective will to protect what's most vital: not just the Great Tree, but their very capacity for wonder. Naledi's struggle reminds us that innocence is a treasure worth defending, even as machinery and modern plans crowd in. Set against a richly drawn backdrop of daily life and quiet perseverance, Root Notes reveals how a single child's unwavering spirit can unite an entire community; and how the gentle strains of a simple flute melody can carry the hope of a generation.
