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A review by theengineerisreading
Everlasting Nora by Marie Miranda Cruz
4.0
This is so Pinoy!
After a careful deliberation on what my next read would be, I picked Everlasting Nora from my towering TBR hoping I would taste a familiar flavor and gladly, this book delivered.
Everlasting Nora is a MG novel about Nora, an 11-year old girl (I based the age on her school status, G6) who lives in Manila North Cemetery after a series of unfortunate events happened in her life. With her mother as her only someone in the busy community of MNC, Nora is doing her best in finding a way to eke out a living by selling garland necklace for the cemetery passersby and doing laundry to one of the families outside the MNC. But the wind of fate worsen when Nora's Mama suddenly disappeared after an all-night mahjong session and made Nora embark on a journey of finding her strengths, weaknesses, courage, and family and friends as she unravel the reality of life.
The fact that this book features Filipino characters in a setting so familiar to us made me picked this book up immediately. I'm glad that Marie Miranda Cruz wrote Everlasting Nora because Pinoy children needs to have Pinoy books to read that mirrors not just their own culture but the reality of life in the other side of the spectrum. Cruz is brave in portraying this kind of life because this is how the majority of poor Filipinos live survive in a day-to-day basis.
Everything about this spoke nothing but the truth. The poverty, the harsh reality, the hardship of living as one in the lowest tier of the society with no concrete government aid to access education, health facilities, and some other basic necessities. This is Philippines and mabuhay!
What I really loved about this novel is amid all the depictions of the real Philippines, it also showed the genuineness of Pinot tradition and culture. Like helping your neighbors in times of need, and respecting the elderlies, and even the never-say-die spirit of Nora who continue to work hard in spite of the hurdles she encountered in her young life. Truly, Nora is a child with wisdom beyond her years.
RATING: 4stars
After a careful deliberation on what my next read would be, I picked Everlasting Nora from my towering TBR hoping I would taste a familiar flavor and gladly, this book delivered.
Everlasting Nora is a MG novel about Nora, an 11-year old girl (I based the age on her school status, G6) who lives in Manila North Cemetery after a series of unfortunate events happened in her life. With her mother as her only someone in the busy community of MNC, Nora is doing her best in finding a way to eke out a living by selling garland necklace for the cemetery passersby and doing laundry to one of the families outside the MNC. But the wind of fate worsen when Nora's Mama suddenly disappeared after an all-night mahjong session and made Nora embark on a journey of finding her strengths, weaknesses, courage, and family and friends as she unravel the reality of life.
The fact that this book features Filipino characters in a setting so familiar to us made me picked this book up immediately. I'm glad that Marie Miranda Cruz wrote Everlasting Nora because Pinoy children needs to have Pinoy books to read that mirrors not just their own culture but the reality of life in the other side of the spectrum. Cruz is brave in portraying this kind of life because this is how the majority of poor Filipinos live survive in a day-to-day basis.
Everything about this spoke nothing but the truth. The poverty, the harsh reality, the hardship of living as one in the lowest tier of the society with no concrete government aid to access education, health facilities, and some other basic necessities. This is Philippines and mabuhay!
What I really loved about this novel is amid all the depictions of the real Philippines, it also showed the genuineness of Pinot tradition and culture. Like helping your neighbors in times of need, and respecting the elderlies, and even the never-say-die spirit of Nora who continue to work hard in spite of the hurdles she encountered in her young life. Truly, Nora is a child with wisdom beyond her years.
RATING: 4stars