Safe Harbor

Venkatraman, Padma. Safe Harbor
January 21, 2025 by Nancy Paulsen Books
E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus

In this novel in verse, we meet Geeta, who moves from Chennai, India to Rhode Island with her Amma (mother) who is getting a PhD in psychology and attending college in the US. Geeta misses her grandparents and cousin in India, and while her mother likes their new apartment, Geeta isn't a fan of the small space, and definitely doesn't like the new US food. Her aunt and uncle are helpful, but Geeta had to leave behind not only her family, but her books and dog Dhurrie as well. Her mother made the move because the parents had a bitter divorce, and she wanted a change. Since Geeta's father has not been in contact with her at all, being away from him isn't that big a deal. She does take comfort in her bamboo flute, and she still takes lessons virtually with her teacher in Chennai. School is also a bit tough; Geeta likes her teacher, Mrs. Nizinski, but a girl with a "shiny smile" gives Geeta a hard time for her clothes, her food, and her accent, and the girl's friends don't make her stop. Luckily, Geeta meets Miguel, who lives in the same building, and discovers the library because of him. He is also there when she finds an injured seal pup on the shore. Since his mother (who is also divorced) is a marine biologist, he knows to call the Marine Animal Rehab Center, and the seal is soon rescued. Dr. Coba-Cetina (Miguel's mom) knows the people at the center, so Geeta and Miguel are able to visit and check on the progress of the pup, whom they call Santo. Eventually, Geeta gets involved in a beach clean up with Miguel, and manages to get up in front of her class and invite everyone. This leads to her making some new friends, and one of the friends of the "shiny smile girl" even apologizes to Geeta. Even though the rehab center is trying to keep Santo wild, Geeta plays music for him that seems to help both him and Geeta with the transitions in their lives. 

Strengths: I love books that show my students different reasons that people may come to the US, as well as a range of different experiences. Geeta is not only dealing with a huge move, but is also trying to understand her mother, who struggles with mental health issues. The mother is portrayed as taking medication and seeing a therapist, but she also eventually realizes that not telling Geeta the details of how she is managing her health condition isn't helpful. This is definitely on trend with how mental health issues and parenting issues are being handled today. I was glad that Geeta's teacher was supportive, even if there were students who weren't reprimanded for being mean. Miguel and his mother are also very helpful to Geeta and her mother while they settle in. The portrayal of continued contact with family back in India is reassuring,  and it was interesting to see that Geeta continued her lessons with her teacher in Chennai. If you are looking for books set specifically in Rhode Island, this one takes place near the Narraganset Bay. 
Weaknesses: The verse format of this made this a bit slower paced than some of my readers like. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like gentle immigration tales like Nye's The Turtle of Oman or Respicio's Isabel in Bloom.