Grieving the recent loss of her father and home in New England, fourteen-year-old, Ari, struggles to fit in with her loving but unfamiliar extended Indian family, with its own strong culture, community, and religion that she only half relates to. Angry and rebellious, Ari steals her mother’s necklace and escapes to the nearby Forest Park, where she accidently plunges into a terrifying world of bird warfare in Cascadia, a hidden world rooted in the underbelly of Portland’s trails.

Written for readers aged 9 to 14, Ari’s inspiring journey shows the power of a girl finding her voice and calling out misinformation, providing a safe space to initiate deeper conversations around identity, including race, religion, class, government, and gender. Ari will also help middle grade readers recognize the interdependence of the natural world, and human ability to help the environment as well as destroy it, while exploring ever-changing dynamics of climate and community, and how to belong when all you do is stand out.