All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffell ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

All the Water in the World is told in the voice of a girl gifted with a deep feeling for water. In the years after the glaciers melt, Nonie, her older sister and her parents and their researcher friends have stayed behind in an almost deserted New York City, creating a settlement on the roof of the American Museum of Natural History. The rule: Take from the exhibits only in dire need. They hunt and grow their food in Central Park as they work to save the collections of human history and science. When a superstorm breaches the city’s flood walls, Nonie and her family must escape north on the Hudson. They carry with them a book that holds their records of the lost collections. Racing on the swollen river towards what may be safety, they encounter communities that have adapted in very different and sometimes frightening ways to the new reality. But they are determined to find a way to make a new world that honors all they've saved. (Goodreads)

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

January 2025; St. Martin's Press; 978-1250353528
audio, ebook, print (304 pages); post-apocalyptic

I'm always on the lookout for post-apocalyptic fiction to recommend to my book club. And I will definitely be recommending this book to them.

I was drawn to this book because of the climate fiction aspect as well as it taking place in part at the American Museum of Natural History. I thought it was a unique place to set a post-apocalyptic novel.

Nonie is the narrator of the story and she is an interesting choice. It's not until the end that we get an idea of what her age is but from clues dropped earlier in the story I figured she was around 12 or 13. But the story is not a young adult novel. Her perspective at times is like a child who sees and hears everything but doesn't necessarily have an opinion or bias to filter what she sees or hears through. 

The story is more about the journey which is highlighted metaphorically by the presence of the Hudson River the characters follow when Amen is destroyed in a hypercane. 

I can't say the story is all that unique but it definitely had its profound moments and beautiful prose. It would be an excellent book for discussion. Several times, I had to pause and reflect on Nonie's observations.

I enjoyed spending time with these characters and was a little sad when I came to the end as I wasn't ready to say goodbye to them.

Buy All the Warer in the World at Amazon

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour. 

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