A Chronicle of Connection and Change
by Emma Dolan
When the world begins to forget how to listen, one girl hears what others cannot.
Ten-year-old Zara Heratica doesn't fit neatly into anyone's idea of "normal". She prefers animals to people, silence to small talk, and the steady rhythm of patterns she can understand. But everything changes the day she discovers a glowing seed buried beneath a mossy log. A seed that grows overnight into the mysterious Timekeep Tree, a living portal through time and ecosystems.
Guided by Lumen, a luminescent moth who speaks in the pulse of light, Zara travels across fragile habitats. From coral reefs to frozen tundras, desert dunes to city skylines. She witnesses the beauty and heartbreak of a planet on the edge. Along the way, she confronts VORAX-9, an artificial intelligence android built to "preserve life through control," and must show him that true balance lies not in perfection but in cooperation.
Through quiet courage, deep observation, and the language of the living world, Zara learns that even the smallest voice can help restore harmony.
A beautifully illustrated eco-adventure that blends science, wonder, and empathy, Zara and the Timekeeper Tree invites readers to see the Earth not as a problem to fix, but as a story still being written.
Perfect for ages 8+.
Emma Dolan is an autistic Australian author and archaeologist who writes stories that blend science, imagination, and memory - uncovering the quiet connections that shape our world.
Emma Dolan is an Australian author, archaeologist and storyteller who writes at the crossroads of history, imagination, and the natural world. Her background in archaeology shapes her fascination with how landscapes hold memory and how human choices leave traces through time. Through her fiction —from lyrical eco-adventures for children to literary mysteries written as G.A. Bellingham —she explores the quiet connections between people, place, and belonging. An advocate for neurodiversity and environmental awareness, Emma writes from an autistic perspective that values detail, curiosity, and compassion. When she isn't writing, she can be found sketching animals, exploring heritage sites, or mapping stories that link the past and future in unexpected ways.
by G.A. Bellingham