THE GIRL WHO FOLLOWED ODAA TREE: An Oromo Journey of Memory, Courage and Belonging

What if discovering where you come from meant stepping inside the memories of your people? Eleven-year-old Lensa has a problem. Her class assignment asks one simple question: WHERE DO I COME FROM? She knows she is Oromo-but when she tries to explain what that means, her page remains almost empty. Then Grandmother Hirut gives her an old wooden pendant carved with an Odaa tree. TING! Suddenly, Lensa is swept into the mysterious Paths of Memory, guided by Bariisaa, a hilarious talking bird who claims to be the "Assistant Keeper of Extremely Important Memories." To return home, Lensa must uncover the Seven Seeds of Memory-Community, Language, Listening, Gratitude, Courage, Identity and Responsibility-while battling the terrifying Forgetting Wind, which wants names, stories and memories to disappear. Along the way, Lensa explores Afaan Oromoo, the Gadaa tradition, Irreecha, oral storytelling, historical movements, family traditions and the diverse religious experiences of Oromo communities. But her greatest discovery is that heritage is not about knowing everything. It is about caring enough to keep asking. Warm, funny, magical and educational, The Girl Who Followed the Odaa Tree is an unforgettable African history adventure about identity, courage, belonging and the responsibility of carrying stories forward. The story has reached you. What will you carry forward?