Everlasting Nora by Marie Miranda Cruz

Publisher: Starscape
On Sale Date: October 2nd 2018
Pages: 288
Age Range: All ages

Twelve year old Nora's live took a tragic turn after her family's house was destroyed in a fire. Her father died in the fire and struggling to make ends meet, Nora and her mother got a job as a housekeeper at the house of Nora's wealthy aunt. But after a disagreement between Nora's mom and her aunt, Nora and her mom had no other choice to move to father's graveside tomb at Manila's North Cemetry to live there, which currently is Manila's largest shantytown. Not the most ideal place for a child to grow up. But they are surviving, Nora selling handmade daisy garlands, and both working as laundry ladies at the bakery of a friend. But then everything takes a turn for the worse when Nora's mother does not return home one day, leaving Nora all alone. Where could she be? Luckily she gets help of her friend Jojo and his super friendly grandmother, who live also on the cemetry. Which is much needed, especially after three thieves ramshackle their belongings, and it seems that they have something to do with the dissappearance of her mother. Together with Jojo, they disembark on a dangerous mission to find her mother, who seems to be trapped in the middle of a criminal gang.

This book is just brilliant. First of all: not many children's books have such an original and different setting, Manila, and the setting of Nora's house was just so moving and heartbreaking at the same time. She and her mother do everything they can to survive in poverty,  but Nora's mom dissappearnce makes Nora find her way almost on her own, which leads to heartbreaking situations, like when she goes to her and her mom's cleaning job to explain that her mom is missing and she has to search for her, and is disbelived and fired on the spot. This is what many children in The Phillippines are dealing with everyday, which makes this book very realistic. This book is not only for children, adults will certainly will be moved by the setting, the writing  and the plot. But what is most amazing about this read are the charachters. Family is the cornerstone of daily life in The Phillippines and that comes through in this book. Nora and her mother, and kindhearted Jojo and his grandmother and a few others who more or less become family or are doing everything to help and got each others back. Overall this is an outstanding and very original read for all ages that gives a good view of this kind of live in The Phillippines that is reality for many and puts you with your feet on the ground.