About the Book

Kemar fled the Khmer Rouge only to become a slave on a refugee boat—until one moment of compassion changes everything. Abandoned at sea for saving fish from nets, he’s rescued by a grenade fisherman who forces him into destroying the very reef that shelters him. Meanwhile, Binti, a young octopus, searches for a mystical shell while navigating a coral ecosystem under siege from explosions and poison. When their lives unexpectedly intersect, both will be tested in ways neither could imagine.

With the help of a Vietnam veteran who found peace in the ocean and a mechanic claiming to be Amelia Earhart, Kemar discovers that redemption flows not from erasing the past but from choosing a better future. As Binti faces the hardest choice of her life, their parallel journeys illuminate the profound connections between all life.

Featuring an introduction by World Wildlife Fund President Kathryn Fuller and surprising Grateful Dead lyrics from a psychedelic octopus, Makoona transforms environmental crisis into an unforgettable story of hope.