Everlasting Nora

A Novel

By: Marie Miranda Cruz

Narrated by: Amielynn Abellera

"If the middle grade Filipino American market had an audio representative, Abellera would be the reigning voice" — School Library Journal

*Winner of a Parents' Choice Silver Award*

This program includes a bonus conversation with the author.

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.

“Heartwarming!”—Melissa de la Cruz

“A story of friendship and unrelenting hope.”—Erin Entrada Kelly

Critic reviews

<p>“Heartwarming and fun, with a fresh twist and a diverse cast of characters!” —Melissa de la Cruz, #1 <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of the Descendants series and <i>Alex & Eliza: A Love Story<br></i><br>“A story of friendship and unrelenting hope. Readers will escape into a world unlike any other, and will be better for it.”—Erin Entrada Kelly, author of <i>Hello, Universe</i> and <i>The Land of Forgotten Girls</i><br><br>“Marie Cruz’s vivid writing transported me into a thrilling, memorable adventure!” —Alex Gino, author of <i>George<br><br>"</i>Amielynn Abellera exuberantly narrates the story of 12-year-old Nora...Abellera adds zest to the story, peppering it with luscious descriptions of Filipino delicacies that contrast sharply with the gritty and desperate reality of cemetery life...listeners will be utterly seduced by her depiction of tender and tenacious Nora, who reminds us that hope can be found amid even the most wretched conditions." -<i><b>AudioFile <br></b><br></i>"If the middle grade Filipino American market had an audio representative, [Amielynn] <b>Abellera would be the reigning voice</b>. Already the narrator of two of Newbery Medal winner and Filipina American Erin Entrada Kelly’s three middle grade titles,<b> she is an energetic cipher for Cruz’s feisty 12-year-old Nora</b>." -<i><b>School Library Journal</b><br></i></p>

Beautiful Story Full of Hope

I really loved this book. In many ways, it reminded of a Filipino version of the wonderful Dreamworks film, Coco. I saw this book on a blog tour and had to purchase it. My father was Filipino but I was raised in the continental United States. I love to read about the Philippines and I hope to visit in person some day. Although this book was written for middle grade readers, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The author beautifully engages with a very challenging topic. The entire story is full of hope, resiliency, and Filipino culture.

I was particularly delighted with the audiobook because I really enjoyed hearing the Tagalog language spoken around. The audiobook also includes a very interesting little interview with the author at the end.

If you're interested in Filipino culture or just enjoy a well told story, I highly recommend this book!