Root & Wing

By Tanya G Govender

The trees saw the crime. The bird heard the name. Only the boy can tell the world.

In the fog-drenched valley of Vesper's Reach, eleven-year-old Silas Thorne experiences the world through vibrations instead of words. The earth speaks to him in pulses and metaphors-Sun-Thirst, Deep-Drink, and now a chilling new warning: the Silver-Choke.

Something unnatural is poisoning the land.

Silas can feel what is wrong, but he can't name it-until help arrives on ash-grey wings.

Marley, a sharp-tongued African Grey parrot with a photographic memory and a talent for quoting overheard conversations, once belonged to Silas's late grandfather, a legendary botanist. While plants cry out in pain, Marley remembers exactly who caused it-and repeats their crimes word for word.

Together, they form The Root & Wing Agency, an unlikely partnership racing to uncover a developer's secret pollution scheme before the valley's ancient heart-the Vesper Matriarch, a towering willow older than memory-slips into a fatal Long-Sleep.

Blending environmental mystery, gentle magical realism, and emotional storytelling, Root & Wing is a story about listening-to the land, to the forgotten, and to voices that are usually ignored.

Perfect for readers who love:

Nature-centered fantasy

Eco-conscious adventures

Emotionally rich middle-grade fiction

Stories with intelligent animal companions

Thoughtful, lyrical prose with heart

A quietly powerful novel about truth, stewardship, and the courage to speak for those who cannot.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0GNDVC5S8
• ISBN13: 9798224691722
• Release Date: February 2026
• Publisher: Tanya G Govender
• Length: 70 Pages
• Weight: 0.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 5.5" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7