Tall Water

Gr 9 Up–Nimmi, 16, is navigating uncertainty about her future, beyond the usual teenage questions of college and career. Born in Sri Lanka and identifying as Tamil, Nimmi holds dual American and Sri Lankan citizenship, but lives in South Dakota with her journalist father. Nimmi feels isolated in Sioux City, where her cultural identity is poorly understood, and they have had little contact with her estranged mother, who runs a UNICEF orphanage in Sri Lanka. When her father is sent to report from war-torn Sri Lanka, Nimmi secretly follows him, determined to reconnect with her mother after years of separation. There, she reunites with her mother, bonds with the orphans in her care, and begins to explore her sexuality. Sindu’s narrative follows Nimmi as she is confronted with extraordinary challenges, including surviving a tsunami (based on the real 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami), that far exceed the experiences of most American teens. Expressive illustrations vividly portray both the chaos of military rule and the emotional complexity of Nimmi’s journey. Dream sequence panels further enhance the story, blurring the line between hope and reality, and deepening readers' empathy. The novel ends on a realistic yet hopeful note for Nimmi’s future.