A Diary in the Age of Water (Inanna Poetry & Fiction Series, 0) delves into a dystopian future where the boreal forests of what used to be northern Canada lie desolate due to climate change. Kyo, a young acolyte chosen for service in the Exodus, stumbles upon a diary that might hold the key to understanding Earth’s past—specifically, the Age of Water and the tragic destruction caused by the ‘Water Twins’ who sought humanity’s annihilation out of hatred. Haunted by dreams of this cataclysm, Kyo is compelled to delve into the memoirs of Lynna, a limnologist from just before the end times. Set in a near-future Toronto grappling with water scarcity and political upheaval, the diary chronicles Lynna’s experiences as she navigates the complexities of her life under CanadaCorp’s ruthless control over water resources. As Kyo reads on, she finds herself questioning not only the past but also her own identity and place in an increasingly unstable world. Through the lens of four generations of women, each with a distinct bond to water, this novel explores themes of identity and our evolving understanding of what constitutes ‘normal’ in a rapidly changing planet.
