This is a beautifully written middle grade novel. The main character Nora is only 12 years old and she has already faced so much misfortune. Through it all she remains brave and optimistic. The culture and setting were also really well written.

Nora is one of the strongest young characters I have read in recent reading memory. This book is an excellent window into the life of the impoverished in the Philippines. It also provides an opportunity to challenge dominant thinking about poverty.

For those who are interested in the lives of children from around the world, this is the story of Nora who lives in a masoleum in Manila, the capital city of the Philippines. After the loss of their home in a fire, Nora and her mother find themselves homeless and move in to the family's masoleum. She and her mother are trying to make a better life for themselves through a variety of jobs, but it's not as easy as it sounds. Keeping a job becomes even more difficult when her mother disappears. Nora becomes a bit of a Nancy Drew as she pieces the clues together and tracks down what really happened to her mother. With the help of her friend Jojo; will Nora be able to find her mother before it's too late? And how can a young girl make a better life for herself on her own?
This book was provided to me for free through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

From the eyes of a child, you will see how life play with its surrounding. The moment your lives catch fire, truth to be told how your life is going to change and how you’re going to deal with it. A failing assurance of future. A dream. That’s where you will meet Nora. Nora’s voice is the voice of every Filipino striving forward to do what it takes to reach their dream in the shortage of light and the continuous flow of living.

Everlasting Nora certainly deserves my deepest appreciation and salute in featuring a realistic story that not only it is full of moral values and determination but also how rich it is in day-to-day reality which the child protagonist, Nora, has been facing. I may not be in that situation but thinking of ways to survive a single day with the little luxury they have can be really so hard. As Nora is just a child – imagine that – when you should expect her to be in school, and playground, learning, playing and socializing with her peers and friends. How can life be so selfish. Add more, the scenario in front of her – her home, her mother’s new hobby, and the rest (you’ll gonna find it out – don’t want to spoil further).

I have read some Filipino authors and some of them are also good. But this one really delves into what still the invisible society is today – the living quarters in the cemetery, the end-to-end houses build out of pieces of woods, etc., that represents the squatters. As much as I like the book, it is also a big mirror, reflecting how poverty can still be a burden with the less opportunity to make it better due to increasing standards on living in the modern world.

Everlasting Nora is a great book and heart-warmingly good with a mix of braveness, courageous, determination and hope. Always to remember how much this gives me aches and morals of life. Thank you, Ms. Marie, for scribing this wonderful book for the world to see young Nora’s story. A Filipino representation you shouldn’t miss.

This is such an eye opening book to the reality in the Philippines, regardless whether you live in the metro or in the province. It sad that people that are used poor are taken advantage just because they seem more or less uneducated. I salute Nora for her brave soul and how she kill educates herself after everything that happened to her.

I want to see more of these types of books in the world, especially Filipino centered books.

I absolutely loved this book! Very different then any other book I have read. When I first read it was about a girl that lived in a cemetery, first reaction was this is going to be a scary story. But it wasn't at all. I felt for Nora and her mother. It is very deep with great reflection for all of us to realize what we have and the world we live in. I also truly enjoyed how connected we were with the Philippines, their culture, and their language. Loved that aspected about it. I even enjoyed the glossary of words in the back. Thank you.

Nora is 12. She has lost her father and her home, and now she and her mother live in the Manila cemetery where her father is buried, in a “grave house.” She and her mother barely exist on Nora’s flower garland sales and her mother’s meager jobs, which she struggles to keep because of a gambling addiction. Nora is fighting for her life, for her mother’s life, and for her future. She loved school, but had to leave, and desperately wants to return. Nora and her mother both become fixed on how to get out of the poverty they live in, though in different ways, until things get even worse and Nora’s eyes open to the compassion and generosity of the community that she lives in, which is full of hardship, but also heart. This story is about friendship, grit and determination, community, and the lengths we go to for those we love. It’s also about really seeing where we are (and the people that are there with us and for us) instead of just where we think we want to be.
Beautifully written, this book tells the shocking story of too many children around the world, but also reminds us of the strength of the human spirit to thrive even in the most difficult circumstances.

I’m glad there’s a lot of Filipino character representation through the years and this is one of the stories that I can truly say that I felt I can totally relate. The imagery and the feels of the story is definitely felt. It’s like you’re the one on Nora’s shows that’s how effective the author’s narrative.

A beautiful story of a Filipino child, Nora, whose life has been marred by breaches in trust and misfortune. Through it all, Nora remains strong and brave, even when things are at their hardest. She eventually learns that part of being brave can be asking for help. Rich with culture and heart, a necessary purchase.

This is a wonderful middle grade novel about a girl and her mother in the Philippines, who have fallen on hard times and find themselves living in a grave house. Told from Nora, the young girl’s perspective, we follow a couple weeks in her life where their poverty and her mother’s struggles have got them into some trouble.
Nora is spunky, brave, kind and determined. This is a wonderful novel to shed light on the ways other people live and to develop compassion for situations different then our own. It is easy for the reader to sympathize and connect to Nora and her friends and how more similar than different we really are.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for a copy of this ARC, all opinions are my own.

BLOG TOUR AND BOOK REVIEW: EVERLASTING NORA BY MARIE MIRANDA CRUZ
DECEMBER 13, 2018

Everlasting Nora Book Cover Title: Everlasting Nora
Author: Marie Miranda Cruz
Genre: Middle Grade, Fiction, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction
Publisher: Starscape Books
Release Date: October 2, 2018
Format: e-ARC
Source: Publisher

An uplifting middle-grade debut about perseverance against all odds, Marie Miranda Cruz’s debut Everlasting Nora follows the story of a young girl living in the real-life shanty town inside the Philippines’ North Manila Cemetery.

After a family tragedy results in the loss of both father and home, 12-year-old Nora lives with her mother in Manila’s North Cemetery, which is the largest shanty town of its kind in the Philippines today. When her mother disappears mysteriously one day, Nora is left alone.

With help from her best friend Jojo and the support of his kindhearted grandmother, Nora embarks on a journey riddled with danger in order to find her mom. Along the way she also rediscovers the compassion of the human spirit, the resilience of her community, and everlasting hope in the most unexpected places.

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Trigger Warning: violence, child abuse, classism, extreme poverty / hunger, kidnapping, descriptions of blood and other serious injuries

Thank you to Starscape Books for providing me a digital review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my review in any way.


Everlasting Nora by Marie Miranda Cruz is the book I needed when I was younger. Sure, I enjoyed my time with The Baby Sitters Club and The Boxcar Children but reading a book set in my own country to a place I have visited a few times in my life is really something.

Everlasting Nora is set in Manila North Cemetery in the Philippines. Nora and her mom moved into their grave house (yup, you read that right) after their house was set on fire. That fire also killed her father. You might be surprised (if you’re from another country) to know that there are people living in cemeteries here in the Philippines but that really is a sad reality.

THINGS I DID/FELT WHILE READING EVERLASTING NORA:
I feel at home while reading this book. I may have not experienced living in a grave house but since it is set in my own country the feeling of reading this and understanding the small things like local phrases is just a surreal feeling.
I kind of, fangirled. How can I fangirl? I mean this isn’t like other big fantasy book series. I guess I kind of fangirled while reading about my culture in this book. Small things like mentioning local products and famous people in my country is a big thing to me. I grew up reading books set in the U.S. and while it was cool to know their way of living there I was also confused when they mention products and famous people that I’m not really familiar with.
I was hungry for 80% of the time reading this book. Everlasting Nora mentioned mouth-watering foods locally available like banana que. If you ever find yourself here in the Philippines please try those!
I crave for a friendship like Nora and Jojo’s. These two kids really stood up for each other at such a young age. As a teacher, I would love my students to read this just so they can get an idea of how real friendship works.
One thing I would like to point out is the use of cursing in this book since this book is meant for middle grade age. Overall, I highly recommend this book for all ages.

Stories like this one are so important to give to our young readers, to help them understand other cultures and perspectives. In this book we see poverty, often through multiple generations. We see homelessness thrust upon a family after a tragedy. We see families choosing shelter in a cemetery in hopes of saving enough money to climb out of extreme poverty. We see a culture where poverty drives diet, where education is a privilege not afforded to all. But we also see how this community looks out for it's members, how they become de facto family. We see pockets of hope in what might appear to be a hopeless situation. And we also see how desperation leads to choices that make a situation worse.

Beautiful, well-crafted story. The characters are believable and well-developed. My takeaway - Life rains on some much more than others, but somehow, rays of sun break through and give us hope.

Huge thanks to the publisher and my friend Kate from The Backwards Bookshelf for letting me be part of the #EverlastingNoraPH blog tour and for sending me an e-copy of this title in exchange for an honest review. This did not, in any way, affect my overall opinion of the book and/or the story.

Ever since I saw my friends Kate, Shealea, and Cara tweeting and hyping up Marie Miranda Cruz’ middle grade debut, Everlasting Nora, I grew quite curious about it and after looking it up on Goodreads and finding out that it is a middle grade novel set in my homeland about a girl who sold Everlasting garlands as a means of living at the Manila North Cemetery, I wanted so badly to jump on board that Filipino rep train. At first glance (at the synopsis), one would easily know that this book is going to be quite an emotional, realistic read, and so when Kate announced that she’s gonna be hosting a PH blog tour for this title, I wasted no time in signing up. Read on to know what I thought of this heartwarming debut.

Like I’ve said, one of the many reasons as to why I loved this book is because of how heartbreakingly realistic it is. Everlasting Nora is a story that takes place in the Manila North Cemetery, a place in the Philippines that screams poverty. Nora, our big-hearted, and persevering protagonist, lives in this area as a result of losing her father and their apartment to a fire. This also happens to be the place where the story mostly takes place and in every single page, readers would no doubt witness how hard life is for a lot of Filipinos, especially for the less fortunate ones, or as referred to in the book multiple times, the squatters. As a Filipino born and raised in Metro Manila, I can attest to the accurate representation of poverty found within this book’s story. For years, I’ve seen so many people unlawfully inhabiting unused lands, and yes, even cemetery mausoleums, and getting to read a middle grade story about these people’s lifestyle broke my heart.

Another aspect that I love about this story is Nora’s relationship with Jojo. Jojo is a hardworking character who works as a water boy and looks after her grandmother who also happens to be his closest relative. They’ve been living at the Manila North Cemetery longer than Nora and her mother has and his friendship with our protagonist made Nora’s story a lot bearable to read. She goes through so much hardships and so whenever I got to read scenes about her and Jojo, it felt like I was literally taking a break from all the pain and emotions. Much like Nora, I depended on him and his friendship with our heroine for short bursts of optimism and I very much enjoyed getting to know him as I did Nora. Our main character is lucky to have someone like Jojo stand by her side against all odds.

And last, but certainly not the least, I appreciated the fact that education and religion somehow played a big role in Nora’s life. In several chapters, Efren Peñaflorida, the man behind pushcart classrooms, makes appearances showing just how important education is especially for Filipino youth. Lots of people agree, Dr. Jose Rizal and myself included, that the youth is the hope of our future. And Nora seemed to have the same idea even after having to drop out of school. If it weren’t for the challenges she went through, and if she had her way, she’d want nothing more than to return to school. Add to that the fact that Nora always turned to God and prayer for help. I loved seeing just how faithful she is and how she always believed that everything will work out okay in the end. It’s hard to feel optimistic in times of great need and so seeing this quality embedded in Nora made my Filipino heart jump for joy and pride.

“Everlasting Nora is a heartfelt story about friendship, perseverance, love, optimism, and the undying Filipino spirit. It puts a spotlight on an important story about the bonds that make us human, a daughter’s unrelenting love for her family, and the unique qualities that make a person truly Filipino. It’s a moving narrative worthy of being read by all kinds of readers, regardless of one’s nationality, race, or social standing. You need to read this book.”

One line review: Everlasting Nora is a testament to the strength of hope and optimism, even in the worst circumstances.

Rating: ★★★★★

This review is part of The Backwards Bookshelf’s blog tour for Everlasting Nora by Marie Miranda Cruz. When I heard that there would be an all-Filipino blog tour for a book by and about Filipinos, I immediately signed up. I am absolutely honored to take a part of this, my first blog tour! I highly recommend checking out the #EverlastingNoraPH hashtag on Twitter to see other reviews from fellow Filipinos.

I am Filipino-American: my mom is Filipino and though my dad is ethnically Chinese, he grew up in the Philippines. And while I feel like I live in that space where I don’t fit in with just-Americans or just-Filipinos, I found myself greatly relating to Everlasting Nora. And honestly, I think anyone can relate to Everlasting Nora, whether you understand the interspersed Tagalog throughout the text or not (sometimes I did, sometimes I definitely did not).

First off, Nora is such a well-thought-out character. She’s so brave and strong, yet also self-conscious and shy. Even after a year of living in the cemetery, it’s still hard for her to find the silver lining of it all. She’s not perfect, which made me love her that much more. The supporting cast of characters are so good too. I love me a good found family story, and it was hard not to fall in love with Jojo and Lola Mercy. They truly care for Nora and her mother with no hidden agenda. Yes, there are many characters who show kindness to the two of them, but it was Jojo and Lola Mercy who showed Nora that there are people who care. They opened her eyes to a world of people willing to help.

My favorite theme in Everlasting Nora is the ability to find hope even in the darkest of places. Nora goes through the wringer: her home burns down, she loses her father, and her tita lola emotionally abuses her. Oh, and this ALL happens before the book starts, when her mother goes missing. And while Nora seems to lose hope at times, she doesn’t ever completely lose it. She takes comfort in the friends she’s made; she finds that even in tough circumstances, people still showed her kindness. Often, it’s hard for Nora (and for me) to believe that people are inherently good. Luckily, many of the characters in Everlasting Nora proved us wrong. Though some people are decidedly bad, maybe most people are good. This is the kind of optimism I need.

Now, I’m a little guilty of tending to read and focus only on American-centric stories, so it was good to get away from that typical setting. Don’t get me wrong: I love Asian diaspora stories, and I believe there aren’t enough of those stories in MG, YA, Adult, etc. However, our capacity for empathy of different cultures can only go so far without wide-ranging cultural diversity in the stories we consume. I’ve only been to The Philippines three times in my life (twice that I actually remember), so I didn’t know about cemetery squatters and how common they are until I read this book. Often, I turned to my dad to explain certain Tagalog words or cultural differences in the book that I didn’t understand. I spent so much of my childhood distancing myself from my Filipino identity, one regret that I’m actively rectifying, so I think these questions were a welcome change for the both of us. My one hope for Everlasting Nora is that Filipino-American kids will pick up this book and see bits of themselves represented, as well as want to learn more about Filipino culture.

Speaking of Filipino culture, CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE FOOD? From mentions of sinigang to pandesal, seeing these foods on the page made me love the book even more. Seriously though, never underestimate the power of a good food description. Food, for me, is such a big part of Filipino identity. It’s what brings us together for celebrations, losses, or just because. Even when I pushed back on my heritage, I still voraciously ate Filipino food. 1. It’s THAT good, and 2. I found that food is my favorite way to relate to people. And while we may disagree on the best Filipino food (#TeamSinigang, btw), we can all agree that there’s something special about Filipino food.

Everlasting Nora is a moving novel! And I am claiming it one of the best out there! I feel among many others; seen and moved by this book.

A powerful prose depicting the struggle of living in middle class going through poverty line. Who had lost a lot from an unfortunate tragedy that occurred. What has been lost, gained, learned, and what is yet to unveil along the way.

From the first sentence that I read out of the book, I was so sure that I will be in for the wildest heart-rending ride of my miniscule life. It had tugged my emotion immediately. It brought me into an in-depth trance. I am not kidding! Everlasting Nora is a book written for the people to be understood and not just to make gain something from the tragedy and pain. Which made me sob longer as I grip my Kindle during the ungodly hours.

Another thing I had noticed is that the book hasn’t italicized the Filipino words throughout the book. It is normalized for the book’s narrative because Nora is a Filipino child. I am so happy-if you’re worried; not understanding these words, there is a glossary in the back of the book for reference so, Marie’s gottchu.

Let’s dive further, the physical surrounding was capture in raw and candid truth. From all places that Nora went and said, the cemetery, the street alley, the hospital, the electricity, and water usage, it may come as a shock to some people but it is real and it is happening still.

Physical appearance, this made me feel so seen. There was this scene where Nora describes Jojo smile.

“When he smiled, his wide nose flattened a little more.”

Ahhhhh, this voiced out, pictured out, poured out emotions from me. I have that nose! And seeing it in a traditional book that was originally published not here in the Philippines but in the U.S. Gods above!

I highlighted plenty, here’s another one…

“I propped my rubber slippers at the bottom of the step and went inside.”

That was highly satisfying!

The events that transpired in Nora’s life has been demanding and inspiring of a challenge. After the accident left with nothing. Nora is left to work; help earn money to have food in her and mother’s bellies, and maybe soon enough to bounce back into school afford to have a uniform, books, and supplies. One afternoon after selling everlasting flowers Nora was waiting for her mother to come home and didn’t days passed still hopeful Nora. Got into action and investigated it herself along Jojo, her best friend the whereabouts of her mother could be. As if their present condition wasn’t alarming enough, what they found out and dealt with in the following chapters intensifies. With the themes of classism, violence, and kidnapping. It was both gut-wrenchingly real and eye-opening.

Family is the people you can lean on the time of trouble, right? Not in most cases, family doesn’t have to be by blood, but with the clearest intent of helping, the characters that played here is at most hard to believe but in reality is true too. You will find the most unexpected people to help you than painful to say of your own blood.

There are a lot of characters that were mentioned here, but they’re barely for appearances and it does appear as one dimensional. I think this was intentional. But our MC, Nora is not. She’s someone who I will never be when I was her age, she’s intelligent, independent, brave and a whole lot more amazing adjectives here!

I mean… Nora was often asked? if it is scary to be living where the dead is, she would answer that the living is more dangers of the dead. This is something my dad said to me too. And she’s embracing it like a pro! at her age! Yes!

As I reached the ending I was squeezing my copy real hard. I was expecting something that will make one cry hard. And I did but in a complete opposite of what I thought was. It was glorious!

Written beautifully moving and engaging, Everlasting Nora is a book you would never forget. It goes deep under your skin. A story that’ll make you laugh, cry, and gasping for help. A tale that’ll fuel one to be better, navigating through the hardships in life, remaining hopeful in the most possibly dire circumstances.

I recommend it to everyone! It is something to be read by all and all ages. It may even surprise adult, well, even better! Of course, given with the caution of these trigger warning: violence, child abuse, classism, extreme poverty/hunger, kidnapping, descriptions of blood and other serious injuries.

I believe this book will be a great classroom discussion too! I hope a lot of people would reach and moved by Nora’s life! One simply can’t help to let Nora into their hearts. Nothing but love.

Between the cultural aspects and the story of friendship and family, I am excited to share this title with my daughter. The author doesn’t shy away from some tough issues and I appreciate that in a middle grade book. I will be recommended this title to my Middle Grade Book Club — teachers and librarians interested in middle grade literature.

This was an excellent book, definitely one of my top 10 middle grade novels of 2018. The plot was interesting, and the characters were relatable despite living in an environment completely different from my own.

There is so much to like about the story of Nora, who lives with her mother in a grave house in the Manila North Cemetery. A tense, action-filled middle-grade novel that doesn't avoid difficult topics like gambling addictions, gangs, and corruption, but that also shows hope and loving community, even in the midst of extreme poverty. It's authentic to the culture, and I liked that there is no heroic foreigner coming in to save the day, only friends and family who help and support each other with what little they have. What I don't like: the cover. I don't think it portrays the depth of the book. Note: there is some graphic (and unfortunately realistic) violence. Highly recommended for 10-12 year olds. Review based on an ARC from NetGalley.

Ever since the fire that killed her father Nora and her mother have been living in his mausoleum. In the Philippines, when you have no family, no jobs, no hope for the future that is where you can end up. Things were going okay but her mother's habit of playing Mah'jong has gotten out of control and one day she doesn't come home after playing all night. Nora and her friend Jo'Jo eventually figure out where she was and she is able to come home but she is really sick, they now have no work at all, and Nora's beloved father's watch and the money she was trying to save have all been stolen. Can Nora get help for her mother, get her watch back, and maybe find some hope for her little family?

This was pretty intense and sad but I feel like it is a good book for students to see how others may be living.