#TheWriteReadsBlogTour Review: Norah’s Ark by Victoria Williamson

I am increasingly convinced that Victoria Williamson is a one-woman empathy generator! Every time that I read one of her beautifully written novels, my eyes and heart are opened to characters who embody the harsh experiences of so many individuals in today’s society.

Norah’s Ark is written as a dual narrative, with alternate chapters narrated by the two 11-year-old protagonists, Norah and Adam. These two children couldn’t be more different in their positions on the socio-economic hierarchy, but are united by common themes, underlining for readers that we are all bonded by similar human needs, desires and fears. The ‘compare and contrast’ between the protagonists is fascinating. At the beginning of the book, when Norah and Adam are observing each other from a distance, they both jump to conclusions about each other and envy each other’s apparent lifestyles. This is such a great insight for readers, who have been given some detail on the reality of life for the protagonists, into the dangers of pre-judging someone before you get to know them.

Norah is homeless. She has spend the last few years living out of suitcases as she and her unemployed Dad are moved around homeless hostels, B&Bs and other temporary accommodation. She has no friends, is bullied at school for being poor, dirty and smelly and is desperate that the authorities do not find out just how awful her life is, in case she is taken into care and separated from the only family she knows – her father. In contrast, Adam lives in a beautiful home, with a huge garden backing onto the park, with two professional parents and every material comfort. Norah spends a great deal of time alone in the park while her dad goes to the bookies or to the job centre, she has been given a bicycle by a local church and cycles for hours when she is not taking an interest in the local wildlife. We get an insight into her kind heart when she brings crushed up cornflakes from her meagre breakfast to feed a nest of fledglings whose mother has been killed by a local cat. Adam, who is in recovery from leukaemia, and is confined to his own house and garden by his over-anxious mother, envies her freedom as he watches her from his treehouse. However, he is also aware of the abandoned baby birds, and in an act of rebellion, he sneaks through the garden gate, gathers the nest of birds and takes them to his treehouse to hand rear them. To Norah, who watches on, this is just another example of entitlement, a wealthy child taking away the one thing that she felt was hers, but it sparks the start of the children’s relationship.

I love the way that the friendship develops over the course of the novel. We see the internal struggles of each child as they search for the language and trust to allow themselves to be honest with each other about their respective situations. Both Norah and Adam recognise the trait in each other, to misdirect and cover up their true feelings, especially for fear of upsetting the adults in their lives. Author, Victoria Williamson, opens readers eyes to a host of experiences that result from poverty including; the shame that can be felt when visiting food banks; the cruel judgements that can be felt by wearing charity shop clothes; the human consequences felt by children and parents when mistakes are made processing benefits payments and the hard reality of relying on zero-hours contract employment. I work in a health library and I was fascinated to read Adam’s narrative as a child recovering from cancer treatment, wanting to return to his previous activities but being deterred by a parent’s natural desire to keep him safe. As you would expect from a middle-grade novel, the story is suffused with hope and resilience and I loved the way that the natural world – even in the heart of an urban environment – was portrayed as a way to relax and put the day-to-day worries aside for a time. I don’t want to give away any plot spoilers, but the clever choice of title becomes clear in the dramatic final third of the story!

I think that the content of Norah’s Ark makes it suitable for readers aged 10+ to read independently; it would also be a wonderful book for adults to share with children, at home or in school, to prompt conversations about important social issues. Victoria Williamson always donates 20% of her author royalties to a relevant charity; for Norah’s Ark she will be making this donation to Shelter for the work that they do in helping families in adversity.

I am very grateful to Neem Tree Press who sent me a copy of Norah’s Ark in exchange for my honest opinion, and to @TheWriteReads who invited me to join the blog tour. Do check out the many fantastic reviews and interviews created by the great bloggers in the graphic below.