Published by Neem Tree Press, 2023.

Victoria Williamson is the master of deeply empathetic stories. Her earlier novel, The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle, was a moving depiction of a Syrian refugee and a young carer. This time, in Norah’s Ark, Victoria expertly tackles themes of homelessness and childhood cancer.

Norah Day lives in temporary accommodation, relies on foodbanks for dinner, and doesn’t have a mum. However, she’s happy enough as she has a dad and a mini zoo of rescued wildlife to care for.

Adam Sinclair lives with his parents in a nice house with a private tutor and everything he could ever want. Yet his life isn’t perfect – far from it. He’s stuck at home recovering from cancer with an overprotective mum and no friends.

When a nest of baby birds brings them together as an animal rescue team, Adam and Norah discover they’re not so different after all. Can they solve the mystery of Norah’s missing mother together? And can their teamwork save their zoo of rescued animals from the rising flood?

This is a poignant and deeply moving novel. The insights into Norah’s life are heartbreaking: she and her dad have no cooking facilities so they leave a tin of baked beans on a lukewarm radiator all day to warm them up; Norah has to go to school in a stained uniform because they can’t afford to go to the launderette; and Norah’s dad skips meals so he can give her his meagre share. Adam is in remission and now he mainly struggles with the burden of his parents’ fears and anxieties relating to his illness. He remembers their anguish at his hospital bedside and dreads putting them through any further pain. It’s a lot for an 11-year-old to bear and means that he neglects his own needs and abandons his dreams.

The story is told as a dual narrative with Norah and Adam narrating alternate chapters. I enjoyed the two perspectives and watching the chidden’s friendship develop as they shared experiences and learned more about each other’s lives. Norah helps Adam to live his life again and he becomes her first true friend in years. It’s a wonderful friendship and one which forms the heart of the book.

The book also explores the theme of helplessness. Norah and her dad live a fragile existence at the edge of society; they are at the mercy of unkind landlords and reliant on the charity of others. Norah is bullied at school and struggles academically. Adam cannot make decisions for himself as his mom’s urge to protect him strips him of any autonomy or control over his life. It’s not just the children who feel helpless though. Norah’s dad is at the mercy of the benefit system’s administrative errors and underpayments, the broken computers at the library where he job searches, and zero-hour contracts when he finally does find work.

Norah’s Ark is an honest and unflinching portrayal of what is, sadly, the reality for many children. However, ultimately it is a hopeful book and one which shows us the power we do have to change our lives. This message is summed up beautifully in Adam’s words:

“That’s when I realise that if I want to live, if I want a chance at the life I always wanted, then I have to be the one to save myself.” (Norah’s Ark, page 253.)

Rating: 💙💙💙💙💙

Suitable for children aged 8+

Thank you to Neem Tree Press for sending me this book to review. I reviewed this book as part of the Write Reads blog tour. I reviewed this book as part of the Norah’s Ark blog tour. Check out all the other posts on the tour for more exclusive content.