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The Loneliest Polar Bear
The heartbreaking and ultimately hopeful story of an abandoned polar bear cub named Nora and the humans working tirelessly to save her and her species, whose uncertain future in the accelerating climate crisis is closely tied to our own
Six days after giving birth, a polar bear named Aurora got up and left her den at the Columbus Zoo, leaving her tiny, squealing cub to fend for herself. Hours later, Aurora still hadn't returned. The cub was furless and blind, and with her temperature dropping dangerously, the zookeepers entrusted with her care felt they had no choice: They would have to raise one of the most dangerous predators in the world themselves, by hand. Over the next few weeks, a group of veterinarians and zookeepers would work around the clock to save the cub, whom they called Nora.
Humans rarely get as close to a polar bear as Nora's keepers got with their fuzzy charge. But the two species have long been intertwined. Three decades before Nora's birth, her father, Nanuq, was orphaned when an Inupiat hunter killed his mother, leaving Nanuq to be sent to a zoo. That hunter, Gene Agnaboogok, now faces some of the same threats as the wild bears near his Alaskan village of Wales, on the westernmost tip of the North American continent. As sea ice diminishes and temperatures creep up year-after-year, Gene and the polar bears--and everyone and everything else living in the far north--are being forced to adapt. Not all of them will succeed.
Sweeping and tender, The Loneliest Polar Bear explores the fraught relationship humans have with the natural world, the exploitative and sinister causes of the environmental mess we find ourselves in, and how the fate of polar bears is not theirs alone.
Six days after giving birth, a polar bear named Aurora got up and left her den at the Columbus Zoo, leaving her tiny, squealing cub to fend for herself. Hours later, Aurora still hadn't returned. The cub was furless and blind, and with her temperature dropping dangerously, the zookeepers entrusted with her care felt they had no choice: They would have to raise one of the most dangerous predators in the world themselves, by hand. Over the next few weeks, a group of veterinarians and zookeepers would work around the clock to save the cub, whom they called Nora.
Humans rarely get as close to a polar bear as Nora's keepers got with their fuzzy charge. But the two species have long been intertwined. Three decades before Nora's birth, her father, Nanuq, was orphaned when an Inupiat hunter killed his mother, leaving Nanuq to be sent to a zoo. That hunter, Gene Agnaboogok, now faces some of the same threats as the wild bears near his Alaskan village of Wales, on the westernmost tip of the North American continent. As sea ice diminishes and temperatures creep up year-after-year, Gene and the polar bears--and everyone and everything else living in the far north--are being forced to adapt. Not all of them will succeed.
Sweeping and tender, The Loneliest Polar Bear explores the fraught relationship humans have with the natural world, the exploitative and sinister causes of the environmental mess we find ourselves in, and how the fate of polar bears is not theirs alone.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published March 23, 2021
43 people are currently reading
737 people want to read
About the author
Kale Williams
2 books18 followersKale Williams is a reporter at The Oregonian/OregonLive, where he covers science and the environment. A native of the Bay Area, he previously reported for the San Francisco Chronicle. He shares a home with his wife, Rebecca; his two dogs, Goose and Beans; his cat, Torta; and his stepcat, Lucas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
May 16, 2021
Nora is only six days old when her mother, Aurora gets up and leaves her. The keepers at the Columbus Zoo watch anxiously as a young polar bear needs it's mother to maintain body heat and of course for nutrition. Once they step in there would be no turning back and the fate of cubs raised by keepers have not had great outcomes. This begins Nora's story. A story of hope, joy, love, attachment, setbacks, struggles, adjustments and consequences.
But, this is not only Nora's story but a call for awareness, a call to action. The polar bears in the Arctic are struggling, the lands once covered in ice are diminishing, in some places the ice is already gone. The villages, such as Wales, are also being changed, the hunting ground no longer plentiful, their way of life for generations, in peril. People animals, their very survival no longer assured. We, as a people, have done this. Horrifying.
History, of these villages including a hunter whose hunt brought Nora's mother Aurora to the zoo. The role of zoos, conservation efforts, though many are already too late for some. Personal stories but also a much larger range. The history of these areas and what has already changed never to return. An important book. A wake up call in the strongest terms for those who choose to listen. Maybe, a mind changer, for those who don't believe. What will be left when this is finished, where will the effects of climate change, already being felt, leave us. It's a terrifying scenario.
But, this is not only Nora's story but a call for awareness, a call to action. The polar bears in the Arctic are struggling, the lands once covered in ice are diminishing, in some places the ice is already gone. The villages, such as Wales, are also being changed, the hunting ground no longer plentiful, their way of life for generations, in peril. People animals, their very survival no longer assured. We, as a people, have done this. Horrifying.
History, of these villages including a hunter whose hunt brought Nora's mother Aurora to the zoo. The role of zoos, conservation efforts, though many are already too late for some. Personal stories but also a much larger range. The history of these areas and what has already changed never to return. An important book. A wake up call in the strongest terms for those who choose to listen. Maybe, a mind changer, for those who don't believe. What will be left when this is finished, where will the effects of climate change, already being felt, leave us. It's a terrifying scenario.
July 21, 2022
The parts about the polar bears were good, but they took up only half of the book - the rest was unnecessary fillers about climate change, and it was such run-of-the-mill material that it offered nothing new or insightful on the topic.
October 8, 2024
3,5*
Knyga labiau apie gamtos apsaugą, klimato kaitą ir kiek mažiau, nei tikėjausi, apie baltuosius lokius.
Knyga labiau apie gamtos apsaugą, klimato kaitą ir kiek mažiau, nei tikėjausi, apie baltuosius lokius.
October 16, 2020
Had a chance to blurb this one; here's what I wrote: "The Loneliest Polar Bear artfully bridges two worlds: the fast-warming Arctic, where wild bears and human communities are imperiled by melting ice, and the American zoos in which Nora, a captive-born ambassador for her species, struggles for her own survival. Kale Williams tells this ursine coming-of-age story with compassion, grace, and a reporter’s keen eye for the astonishing details of Nora’s life."
September 11, 2021
A very interesting read! I picked it up totally on the picture thinking I was going to be reading a polar bear version of "me and my favorite pet" kind of book. So not that!
This is a serious work on a mission to raise awareness about where we are at with melting poles, and the changes that are not just coming climate-wise, but that are here! Using this fragile species as the focal point, Kale Williams does a very credible and compelling job making his points and presenting his revelations. Using Nora (that is the coverbear pictured on the book's front cover), who has lived in my hometown zoo, kept me glued to the very end, and after. We've gotten ourselves in a serious mess - a hot mess - and we need to fix it. But as he shows all the ways we've learned how to develop strong denier counter marketing trends (he reminds us of the smoking-is-good-for-your campaigns that killed so many of our grandparents) there is and has been for a long time a stubborn denial aspect about climate change is just something some opponent has made up to obtain their own particular gains.
Cultures sharing the polar bears' environment are considered and discussed, and while the author presents, he isn't didactic or shaming. He seems to be intent on information and gathering the team that is going to do something that moves us in the right direction.
This is a serious work on a mission to raise awareness about where we are at with melting poles, and the changes that are not just coming climate-wise, but that are here! Using this fragile species as the focal point, Kale Williams does a very credible and compelling job making his points and presenting his revelations. Using Nora (that is the coverbear pictured on the book's front cover), who has lived in my hometown zoo, kept me glued to the very end, and after. We've gotten ourselves in a serious mess - a hot mess - and we need to fix it. But as he shows all the ways we've learned how to develop strong denier counter marketing trends (he reminds us of the smoking-is-good-for-your campaigns that killed so many of our grandparents) there is and has been for a long time a stubborn denial aspect about climate change is just something some opponent has made up to obtain their own particular gains.
Cultures sharing the polar bears' environment are considered and discussed, and while the author presents, he isn't didactic or shaming. He seems to be intent on information and gathering the team that is going to do something that moves us in the right direction.
December 9, 2025
Searching for a book with a bear on the cover, one of my favorite librarians pulled this one for me.
If you are like me and have a soft spot for cute animals, this book would have pulled you in, too. However, the book is all about climate change and the environment. But Nora, the baby polar bear rescued from the ice in the most northern part of Alaska, is still the star of the show.
The story puts climate change side by side with humans and animals. Global Warming is destroying habitats and hunting grounds for the polar bears and for the people who depend on the sea for food and survival. I do not want to preach my beliefs, so I will just say, very good book, informative, and obvious that the author did his research.
Highly recommended for anyone interested in the environment and climate change.
If you are like me and have a soft spot for cute animals, this book would have pulled you in, too. However, the book is all about climate change and the environment. But Nora, the baby polar bear rescued from the ice in the most northern part of Alaska, is still the star of the show.
The story puts climate change side by side with humans and animals. Global Warming is destroying habitats and hunting grounds for the polar bears and for the people who depend on the sea for food and survival. I do not want to preach my beliefs, so I will just say, very good book, informative, and obvious that the author did his research.
Highly recommended for anyone interested in the environment and climate change.
March 25, 2021
This was one of those books that didn't fit together well, for me. I was fascinated by the polar bear narratives and I certainly agree with the environmentalist parts and am glad I learned more. However, I don't think those combined seamlessly in the book. As an example, if you get me invested in the survival of a bear cub and then leave me on a cliffhanger to talk about environmental policy... well, that chapter on policy is going to suffer. It may be important, but it's not going to be as emotionally gripping as the bear's plight. And then, after the long chapter break, the momentum is broken when we get back to the bear. Further, because the environmental parts were much broader in scope, they didn't actually segway well from the polar bear bits. They also endeavored to be timely, which means that they sometimes talked about recent events... and maybe it's too soon. It's possible that people interested in nature and the environment missed Greta Thunberg... but it seems unlikely. Maybe in five years those parts will be more surprising and interesting to readers.
May 7, 2021
A 5 star review from me, the lover of all things pb may not come as a shock but wow this book was excellent. The way Nora’s story was tied into both the past and present was magical. As a Columbus resident I am no stranger to Nora and her time at the Columbus Zoo but the way Williams wrote kept me turning the pages to see how Nora’s story would unfold. I did not want to stop reading! Williams’ re-telling of history and expressing the importance of climate change was never over-bearing but was seamlessly incorporated into the book to make it an eye-opening thoroughly enjoyable read
August 18, 2021
I really loved this book honestly. I may go back and give it a 5. It was out of my wheelhouse FUR sure, but I’m so glad I read this book. It made me a bit emotional at the end and YouTubing videos of Nora was fun.
I picked up this book due to some conflicting feelings about the ethics of zoos. We are going to the Omaha zoo and are participating in the KC zoo run. With all this zoo talk, I started thinking to myself, are zoos actually good?
The summary is that the animals we have at zoos most likely couldn’t be released in the wild. The large animals that we see at zoos are the big ticket animal items. We come to see the polar bears, elephants, pandas, etc but we don’t come to visit the tree frogs and lizards. But the thing with zoos is that us visiting these big ticket animals helps in multiple ways. Paying to come visit these animals we would never see in our environment actually helps fund research for animals that are in our local environment. Also we feel more connected to these large, unfamiliar animals when we see them. There is a humanity element. A connection that we are all a part of this globe. I’ll most likely never see a polar bear in the wild, but I can see one at a zoo. Seeing that animal may make me think about my actions on their environment. Could I bike rather than walk? Could I eat less meat? Could I buy fewer plastic food containers? Do I need to improve my recycling regimen? All these things can truly go through your brain when you see (or in this case, READ) a polar bear.
I’m happy I found this book because it really made me realize I need to give more of a damn about climate change. It just feels pretty hopeless but there are things in my life I could do better. There’s also things I already do that maybe I should speak out more about (aka eat less meat people).
I’d recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about zoos, polar bears, native Alaskans, Americans, or climate change. This may seem like a niche book to pick up but I’d really recommend you give it a try. The author did a fabulous job weaving the bears and climate change together. This book was the perfect example of how you can educate a reader while not boring them.
I picked up this book due to some conflicting feelings about the ethics of zoos. We are going to the Omaha zoo and are participating in the KC zoo run. With all this zoo talk, I started thinking to myself, are zoos actually good?
The summary is that the animals we have at zoos most likely couldn’t be released in the wild. The large animals that we see at zoos are the big ticket animal items. We come to see the polar bears, elephants, pandas, etc but we don’t come to visit the tree frogs and lizards. But the thing with zoos is that us visiting these big ticket animals helps in multiple ways. Paying to come visit these animals we would never see in our environment actually helps fund research for animals that are in our local environment. Also we feel more connected to these large, unfamiliar animals when we see them. There is a humanity element. A connection that we are all a part of this globe. I’ll most likely never see a polar bear in the wild, but I can see one at a zoo. Seeing that animal may make me think about my actions on their environment. Could I bike rather than walk? Could I eat less meat? Could I buy fewer plastic food containers? Do I need to improve my recycling regimen? All these things can truly go through your brain when you see (or in this case, READ) a polar bear.
I’m happy I found this book because it really made me realize I need to give more of a damn about climate change. It just feels pretty hopeless but there are things in my life I could do better. There’s also things I already do that maybe I should speak out more about (aka eat less meat people).
I’d recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about zoos, polar bears, native Alaskans, Americans, or climate change. This may seem like a niche book to pick up but I’d really recommend you give it a try. The author did a fabulous job weaving the bears and climate change together. This book was the perfect example of how you can educate a reader while not boring them.
March 8, 2021
I thought this was an emotional and important nature book about climate change and the effect it is having on some of the most vulnerable animals, the polar bears. I like how the book goes back in time an recounts how they came to be and how long they have been on the planet. It was emotional AF because this story centers around Nora who was born at a zoo in Cleveland, and was abandoned by her mother Aurora, who is also a polar bear raised in captivity. The zookeepers were forced tp intervene between mom and baby in order to save the baby cub.
I thought this was well written and someone who has entered the veterinary medical field, I like this had a happy ending even though globally polar bears in are in major trouble. I hope when I become a licensed veterinary technician and get experience in the field, I can be part of conservation work.
Highly recommended and it is not all sad.
Thanks to Netgalley, Kale Williams and Crown Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Available: 3/23/21
I thought this was well written and someone who has entered the veterinary medical field, I like this had a happy ending even though globally polar bears in are in major trouble. I hope when I become a licensed veterinary technician and get experience in the field, I can be part of conservation work.
Highly recommended and it is not all sad.
Thanks to Netgalley, Kale Williams and Crown Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Available: 3/23/21
Read
June 25, 2022i don’t know why i read this, but i learned that polar bears have induced ovulation, induced only after several days of mating interactions with a partner — never heard of this before, so cool!
September 24, 2024
I really enjoyed the back and forth between the stories of our titular polar bear, Nora, and the tales of the Arctic communities in Alaska. I learned a lot about our climate and the zoo industry. As something of a journalist myself, I appreciate that long reference list at the end that details where every fact, statement, and opinion came from. I think this is something that every non fiction book should have
April 18, 2021
The attempt to mesh together Nora’s story with those of the Inuit as well as environmental policy made for a disjointed narrative that was at times repetitive and never quite came together. I also just really wanted more of Nora’s story as well and there just wasn’t enough of it!
July 4, 2021
Review originally posted at BooksOfMyHeart.net.
4.5 stars
I didn’t know this book was coming out until I saw it on the list of audiobooks for possible review. Since I live near Columbus and I’m a member of The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, I’ve followed the story of polar bears at the zoo, since it was first announced they were bringing them back. Then when Nora was born, she was all the rage in Columbus. I was able to go and see her several times before she left Columbus to go to Oregon Zoo and then Utah’s Hogle Zoo. The Loneliest Polar Bear sounded like a really interesting story.
So this story follows not only Nora, a cub born at Columbus Zoo, then abandoned by her mother only to be raised by several of the staff often referred to as Nora Moms. This book also covers the story of Nora’s father, Nanuq, who was a wild born bear and orphaned and brought into human care. I loved reading more about Gene Rex Agnaboogok, an indigenous Alaskan, who fell through the ice into a polar bear den, 27 years before Nora’s birth. He had to kill the bear in order to save his own life, only to then realize there were two cubs in the den.
This story really pulls together the complexity of the world and the animal kingdom and human’s role in it. We don’t just hear about the plight of this one adorable cub and the people trying to save her life. We also get the life of the man and community that saved Nora’s father and ultimately put him and his sister into human care. We also get the story of climate change (yes there is some science in the book, but it is easy to understand for laymen like myself). We also get the story of zoos (the good and the bad, because less face it, as much as I love zoos of today, they don’t have a great history). The story also goes into all the conservation that zoos help. They even go into a bear that was supposed to be a companion for Nora, Tasul, who helped with research hi-tech collars which would be much harder with wild bears.
The Loneliest Polar Bear was way more than I expected. I thought I was going to get some back story on Nora and Mr. Agnaboogok. I didn’t realize how much more would be included. I think hearing about a coastal town that is truly feeling first hand issues with the planet warming (their town is literally falling into the sea) is a great addition to this story. I also think how they talk about how zoos came to be and how bad they were at one point in time. Seeing them change over time and seeing the amount of effort put into caring for these animals (not only those in zoos, but also how those same staff members go out into native areas to help the wild cousins). How zoos are not just exhibiting animals for people to see them, but how they try to connect people with the plight of most of these animals in their native ranges. And how these animals can work to help researchers learn about the animals in the wild and what can be done to help save them.
It really is hard for me to put my feelings down, because there are so many. So, much is covered and it all comes together so well. It really had me in awe, and I knew a lot of the story already. I really hope that this story and others like it, will help these animals and the planet as a whole.
Narration:
The narration of this audiobook was very well done. Unlike many fiction books, Karen Murray doesn’t voice the different people in the story. She just tells the story as written. But you do hear empathy and compassion as the story goes on. She does put “heart” into the story which I feel really helps to bring the story to life. I would listen to hear with future stories.
**I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
4.5 stars
I didn’t know this book was coming out until I saw it on the list of audiobooks for possible review. Since I live near Columbus and I’m a member of The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, I’ve followed the story of polar bears at the zoo, since it was first announced they were bringing them back. Then when Nora was born, she was all the rage in Columbus. I was able to go and see her several times before she left Columbus to go to Oregon Zoo and then Utah’s Hogle Zoo. The Loneliest Polar Bear sounded like a really interesting story.
So this story follows not only Nora, a cub born at Columbus Zoo, then abandoned by her mother only to be raised by several of the staff often referred to as Nora Moms. This book also covers the story of Nora’s father, Nanuq, who was a wild born bear and orphaned and brought into human care. I loved reading more about Gene Rex Agnaboogok, an indigenous Alaskan, who fell through the ice into a polar bear den, 27 years before Nora’s birth. He had to kill the bear in order to save his own life, only to then realize there were two cubs in the den.
This story really pulls together the complexity of the world and the animal kingdom and human’s role in it. We don’t just hear about the plight of this one adorable cub and the people trying to save her life. We also get the life of the man and community that saved Nora’s father and ultimately put him and his sister into human care. We also get the story of climate change (yes there is some science in the book, but it is easy to understand for laymen like myself). We also get the story of zoos (the good and the bad, because less face it, as much as I love zoos of today, they don’t have a great history). The story also goes into all the conservation that zoos help. They even go into a bear that was supposed to be a companion for Nora, Tasul, who helped with research hi-tech collars which would be much harder with wild bears.
The Loneliest Polar Bear was way more than I expected. I thought I was going to get some back story on Nora and Mr. Agnaboogok. I didn’t realize how much more would be included. I think hearing about a coastal town that is truly feeling first hand issues with the planet warming (their town is literally falling into the sea) is a great addition to this story. I also think how they talk about how zoos came to be and how bad they were at one point in time. Seeing them change over time and seeing the amount of effort put into caring for these animals (not only those in zoos, but also how those same staff members go out into native areas to help the wild cousins). How zoos are not just exhibiting animals for people to see them, but how they try to connect people with the plight of most of these animals in their native ranges. And how these animals can work to help researchers learn about the animals in the wild and what can be done to help save them.
It really is hard for me to put my feelings down, because there are so many. So, much is covered and it all comes together so well. It really had me in awe, and I knew a lot of the story already. I really hope that this story and others like it, will help these animals and the planet as a whole.
Narration:
The narration of this audiobook was very well done. Unlike many fiction books, Karen Murray doesn’t voice the different people in the story. She just tells the story as written. But you do hear empathy and compassion as the story goes on. She does put “heart” into the story which I feel really helps to bring the story to life. I would listen to hear with future stories.
**I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
May 8, 2021
Informative on so many levels. I think most of us understand that climate change is not a phenomenon that began in the last thirty years or so. We have been on this path for a very long time. The increase in population, wealth, and mobility have all contributed and it is all going to be necessary to work on correcting this issue. The Loneliest Polar Bear helped bring the historical factors of climate change into focus for me.
Kale Williams took the true story of a multi-generational polar bear family and put together a historical perspective of climate change, the evolution of zoos, and how difficult it is to keep wild animals alive so humans can see what the world is going to lose if we do not change our ways.
The story of Nora is heart-warming and incredibly sad. One polar bear has a story and Kale Williams does it well as he educates us on multiple levels.
I found myself shedding tears for Nora. For the zookeepers that kept Nora alive as an infant, the zookeepers working so hard to give Nora a life as close to normal as possible. The Inuit people losing their traditional lives and their homes above the Arctic Circle.
Kale Williams thank you for this excellent book!
Kale Williams took the true story of a multi-generational polar bear family and put together a historical perspective of climate change, the evolution of zoos, and how difficult it is to keep wild animals alive so humans can see what the world is going to lose if we do not change our ways.
The story of Nora is heart-warming and incredibly sad. One polar bear has a story and Kale Williams does it well as he educates us on multiple levels.
I found myself shedding tears for Nora. For the zookeepers that kept Nora alive as an infant, the zookeepers working so hard to give Nora a life as close to normal as possible. The Inuit people losing their traditional lives and their homes above the Arctic Circle.
Kale Williams thank you for this excellent book!
April 14, 2021
4.5 stars. Sure, the cover is maudlin, but this book is better than it would lead you to believe. Yes, it's about a zoo-born bear raised in captivity. Both Nora (the bear) and her human keepers dealt with more than their share of adversity. People have strong feelings about zoos, and they're entitled to them, but what shines through--bright as a laser--is just how much these caregivers feel for the animals they care for. They're a dedicated group of professionals who want only the best for their charges. And for their wild counterparts, for that matter.
And this book moves well beyond the zoo, looking at the bears' shrinking habit, global climate change, political realities, and a disappearing indigenous way of life. It doesn't dive deep into any of these areas, but the explorations are well-handled. And this expansion of the story beyond that of one small bear is gracefully done.
Finally, it doesn't hurt that Nora is COMPLETELY adorable! (Google some video of her.). There's something wrong with your heart of you're not rooting for her to thrive.
And this book moves well beyond the zoo, looking at the bears' shrinking habit, global climate change, political realities, and a disappearing indigenous way of life. It doesn't dive deep into any of these areas, but the explorations are well-handled. And this expansion of the story beyond that of one small bear is gracefully done.
Finally, it doesn't hurt that Nora is COMPLETELY adorable! (Google some video of her.). There's something wrong with your heart of you're not rooting for her to thrive.
March 6, 2021
This is a good book. So is this one. And this one is good too, or at least important. Putting them all together and calling it one book, however, didn’t work completely smoothly for me.
There is the story of a specific polar bear cub with physical and mental health issues, the three zoos she has lived at so far, and the issues related to animals being kept captive.
There are the general scientific and political histories of climate change during the past few decades.
There are the specific ecological and social effects of that changing climate upon the Arctic area.
I’m probably biased by having once been a docent at a zoo where a polar bear played catch with another docent using a large plastic ball, but for me the zoo angle would have been the most interesting subject to explore further.
I imagine the hope here is that people drawn to the story of an abandoned bear cub will be open to learning more about climate change in a less politicized setting. I fear many people are going to be annoyed by the constant cutting away from the specific story which is presumably their main reason for reading the book. And people who already know the basics of climate change are going to find pages of information they already know.
Thanks to Crown and NetGalley for an advance copy to review.
There is the story of a specific polar bear cub with physical and mental health issues, the three zoos she has lived at so far, and the issues related to animals being kept captive.
There are the general scientific and political histories of climate change during the past few decades.
There are the specific ecological and social effects of that changing climate upon the Arctic area.
I’m probably biased by having once been a docent at a zoo where a polar bear played catch with another docent using a large plastic ball, but for me the zoo angle would have been the most interesting subject to explore further.
I imagine the hope here is that people drawn to the story of an abandoned bear cub will be open to learning more about climate change in a less politicized setting. I fear many people are going to be annoyed by the constant cutting away from the specific story which is presumably their main reason for reading the book. And people who already know the basics of climate change are going to find pages of information they already know.
Thanks to Crown and NetGalley for an advance copy to review.
March 21, 2022
This book is scary because it tells the effects of climate change and we know that the world is doing little to change. The book is told through the life Nora, a polar bear. Nora is born in a zoo, rejected by her mother and cared for my zookeepers. Nora has many problems, but the keepers do their best for her. It did find it irritating when Nora was in danger, but the author takes the reader off the Arctic, Wales or melting ice. I did learn about parts of global warming that I was unaware of like the effect on the poorest of the world. I have always felt that animals should not be in zoos, unless there is no way to keep them alive in nature. I can't imagine who horrible it must be for the animal. I hope this book will help to change the minds of people to do something about global warming.
May 30, 2021
Few books have engendered so mixed a response from this reader. On the one hand there is much to recommend: acknowledgement of the deterioration of the arctic habitat, threat to hunters in the North, detailing how showy animals can prompt zoo goers to pass through the gate, introducing the pro-zoo anti-zoo debate. But this book, which focuses on the rearing of a bear within a zoo ends up being way too pro-zoo in my relatively naive opinion. Arguing that captive animals live longer than their wild counterparts? Extolling the virtues of human care in a zoo environment? No where near enough emphasis on how to address the macro issues of how do we reverse climate change and preserve habitat for animals in the wild.
January 26, 2025
I picked up this book because of the cover and the adorable picture of a baby polar bear. It relates the story of a polar bear cub who was born in a zoo but abandoned by her mother when she was only six days old. Her keepers worked around the clock to save her and they succeeded. The story goes deeper into the explanation behind Nola’s father who was rescued on an ice floe when his mother was killed in self defense by a native hunter.
The book goes into a deep dive on climate change and the peril of many creatures like the very vulnerable polar bear who is considered a sentinel species like the canary in the coal mine. The climate change discussion was eye opening and frightening and disturbing and depressing. The author talks a lot about the politics behind the climate change movement or lack there of.
We learn about Nora’s journey to her next home at the Oregon zoo. Then she was moved to a zoo in Utah so she could be introduced to a roommate. We learn a lot about how zoo animals are cared for and how they serve as a tool for educating the general public about these animals who they will probably never encounter. The zoo animals are kept in captivity but fed well and cared for and kept free of parasites etc. They serve as representatives of their species and serve a function in the larger purpose of conservation efforts.
The book goes into a deep dive on climate change and the peril of many creatures like the very vulnerable polar bear who is considered a sentinel species like the canary in the coal mine. The climate change discussion was eye opening and frightening and disturbing and depressing. The author talks a lot about the politics behind the climate change movement or lack there of.
We learn about Nora’s journey to her next home at the Oregon zoo. Then she was moved to a zoo in Utah so she could be introduced to a roommate. We learn a lot about how zoo animals are cared for and how they serve as a tool for educating the general public about these animals who they will probably never encounter. The zoo animals are kept in captivity but fed well and cared for and kept free of parasites etc. They serve as representatives of their species and serve a function in the larger purpose of conservation efforts.
August 28, 2021
What an amazing book about Nora, the polar bear born at the Cleveland, Ohio Zoo. The story goes not only into her life being raised by humans and all her struggles but the book also goes into how global warming is affecting the bears and also the struggles polar bears face in the wild. I read this book for Polarthon and loved it! I highly recommend it.
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January 7, 2026really good but equally depressing lol
May 19, 2021
This was an enjoyable book about polar bears, conservation and climate change. The title is a little misleading, as I thought it would be more focused on Nora.
November 28, 2021
By intertwining the rescue of a super cute polar bear cub into a story about climate crisis, Williams gets us to care passionately for one member of an endangered species. He includes rational important facts, such as the size of the arctic ice under various IPCC warming scenarios and that the US federal courts have ruled that the endangered species act is not a vehicle for climate policy.
He poignantly points out the irony that we can care for a single polar bear cub more emotionally than we care for millions of members of our own species, who are already suffering from climate. He extends this to the factual concept that the US government has taken the land of the american natives, and that I (most of the readers of this review) are living on stolen land.
And for me, this is where Williams is trying to do too much. Already the lift is heavy enough in getting people to pay more for gas to save the climate.. and people will not do more unless their standards of living are rising anyway. It isn't clear to me that the native people would provide better governance than the US government, because in Alaska enough native people have supported increasing the payments from oil interests as long as it paid well to the tribes.
I don't know what the necessary or optimal coalition is for saving the arctic ecosystem, but this book seems to intentionally veer away from making an effort to assemble it. (unlike the advocacy of silent spring, which started a movement and truly saved species.)
He poignantly points out the irony that we can care for a single polar bear cub more emotionally than we care for millions of members of our own species, who are already suffering from climate. He extends this to the factual concept that the US government has taken the land of the american natives, and that I (most of the readers of this review) are living on stolen land.
And for me, this is where Williams is trying to do too much. Already the lift is heavy enough in getting people to pay more for gas to save the climate.. and people will not do more unless their standards of living are rising anyway. It isn't clear to me that the native people would provide better governance than the US government, because in Alaska enough native people have supported increasing the payments from oil interests as long as it paid well to the tribes.
I don't know what the necessary or optimal coalition is for saving the arctic ecosystem, but this book seems to intentionally veer away from making an effort to assemble it. (unlike the advocacy of silent spring, which started a movement and truly saved species.)
June 1, 2021
In this investigative novel Kale looks at how climate change/global warming is effecting Polar Bears and those that live in the north where Polar Bears roam. He also weaves in the story of Nora, a polar bear born in captivity, that was abandoned by her mom and everything that it took to get her to thrive in the zoos.
Nora is a polar bear that was in Portland for a bit and I remember her story, so that is why I wanted to pick up this book. I learned more about her and I really enjoyed those bits of the story. I also found the bits about Gene Agnaboogok interesting. I felt like the climate change bits went with the story, but weren't always integrated smoothly into the story. Sometimes it felt a little jarring when the author was talking about Nora to all of sudden being about Climate change (I guess the transitions weren't as smooth as I had hoped). It was a short novel and if the climate change bits were taken out the book would have been more of a novella, so that is why I think they were added. I preferred all the parts about Nora. This was the first time reading the acknowledgements and I knew someone that was thanked, which was fun to see.
I would give the book 3.5 stars.
Nora is a polar bear that was in Portland for a bit and I remember her story, so that is why I wanted to pick up this book. I learned more about her and I really enjoyed those bits of the story. I also found the bits about Gene Agnaboogok interesting. I felt like the climate change bits went with the story, but weren't always integrated smoothly into the story. Sometimes it felt a little jarring when the author was talking about Nora to all of sudden being about Climate change (I guess the transitions weren't as smooth as I had hoped). It was a short novel and if the climate change bits were taken out the book would have been more of a novella, so that is why I think they were added. I preferred all the parts about Nora. This was the first time reading the acknowledgements and I knew someone that was thanked, which was fun to see.
I would give the book 3.5 stars.
August 6, 2021
I debated reading this book. I am totally anti zoo & don't agree w/ zoos having animals that don't belong on the continent or behind bars, cages are not fair for them & not a way to live either.
So that aside I will go through my thoughts of this book.
The story of how Nora came to be was not what I expected. It was essentially a sad story due to how her parents were part of her life until they weren't. At such a young age she ended up being saved yet her cub like self was unknown to her since she was surrounded by humans, not polar bears. The health issues she goes through when growing up from mental health to bone deformities & the struggle to stay alive as a cub is quite the story. The vets & scientists involved to do everything they can to help her so she can stay alive & grow up to be a strong polar bear was not an easy task for them.
Seeing (reading) how the journey for Nora unfolds is an interesting one & makes you wonder about the intervention of humans in such things. The various zoos she ends up in & how she adjusts to other animals is also impactful to see how Nora handles such things which of course isn't always easy. So checkout out how this story unfolds & make your own judgements.
So that aside I will go through my thoughts of this book.
The story of how Nora came to be was not what I expected. It was essentially a sad story due to how her parents were part of her life until they weren't. At such a young age she ended up being saved yet her cub like self was unknown to her since she was surrounded by humans, not polar bears. The health issues she goes through when growing up from mental health to bone deformities & the struggle to stay alive as a cub is quite the story. The vets & scientists involved to do everything they can to help her so she can stay alive & grow up to be a strong polar bear was not an easy task for them.
Seeing (reading) how the journey for Nora unfolds is an interesting one & makes you wonder about the intervention of humans in such things. The various zoos she ends up in & how she adjusts to other animals is also impactful to see how Nora handles such things which of course isn't always easy. So checkout out how this story unfolds & make your own judgements.
September 2, 2021
This book was outside my usual wheelhouse, but I picked it up because it is a topic that I knew was near and dear to my 11 year old daughter's heart. In her short life span we have worked to save the Blob Fish and the turtles. She is a strong advocate for the environment and wants to save all of the animals. I selected this book to read because I knew it would give us something to talk about. I was not disappointed. This book was very well written and it shares a deeply moving story of Nora, who is the center of the book. It tells of her abandonment and how the team at the Columbus Zoo worked to care for her, but it also intertwined information about how polar bears in the Arctic are struggling, that their homes are literally dissolving. It is a wakeup call to everyone that something needs to be done for the environment now. It is not something that can be pushed off for another day. The author makes you care deeply for Nora and by presenting the environmental impact to polar bears like Nora she is able to make the reader better understand that this not something that will go away. I would highly recommend this book to casual readers who are interested in learning more about the environment. It is a deeply touching story.
November 8, 2022
I enjoyed this book about Nora, the polar bear born in captivity who was quickly abandoned by its mother, and the zookeepers who came together to save her. The book covered a lot of ground about several subjects including climate change and the effect on polar bears in the wild and the debate about if zoos are good for animals.
The book zooms in to focus on Nora and her journey as a polar bear living in captivity. I really enjoyed the chapters about Nora. This polar bear deals with a lot during her life and it definitely isn't an easy one. The second subject this book tackles is zoos and whether they are good or bad for animals. There are differing schools of thought, and the book did a great job explaining all sides. Finally, the book delves into climate change and how it affects polar bears. The book also discusses Native Alaskans and how they fit into this issue.
This book tried to do a lot. I actually was interested in all of the areas but I feel like it was an intro to the subjects instead of something in depth. There was just too much to cover. There are some great takeaways here like how we can all do more to take care of the Earth and create a better tomorrow for generations to come. Now I'm off to google pictures of baby Nora...
The book zooms in to focus on Nora and her journey as a polar bear living in captivity. I really enjoyed the chapters about Nora. This polar bear deals with a lot during her life and it definitely isn't an easy one. The second subject this book tackles is zoos and whether they are good or bad for animals. There are differing schools of thought, and the book did a great job explaining all sides. Finally, the book delves into climate change and how it affects polar bears. The book also discusses Native Alaskans and how they fit into this issue.
This book tried to do a lot. I actually was interested in all of the areas but I feel like it was an intro to the subjects instead of something in depth. There was just too much to cover. There are some great takeaways here like how we can all do more to take care of the Earth and create a better tomorrow for generations to come. Now I'm off to google pictures of baby Nora...
May 10, 2021
I loved this book! To think I almost passed it by considering some of the other reviews ... Yes, the author goes back and forth between the plight of Nora the orphaned polar bear and climate change, but they are so intertwined I don't see how he could have done it any other way. It wasn't confusing at all; if anything how he explains the major loss of sea ice due to climate change is the primary way polar bears are losing the opportunity to hunt their favorite meal, the bearded seals. Just as the cute and cuddly Giant Panda has become the symbol of endangered species around the world, the polar bear standing atop a drifting ice floe has become the symbol of global warming. I liked the authors brief history and explanation of the development of zoos, from private menageries to places of conservation (if you're planning to visit a zoo, be sure to visit only AZA-accredited ones). I also appreciated the backstory of the people from Wales, Alaska, and how Nora even came to be. I couldn't put this book down it interested me so much and was so well written.
February 24, 2023
4.5 stars rounded down to 4 only because the two stories being told I feel could have been woven together a little better - I completely understand why the author did it, because it's showing the struggles polar bears have in zoos and how being in the wild can often be worse *nowadays* due to global warming and climate change, I just felt the way it was broken up was a little choppy. Early on in the book they do a flashback that completely makes sense and fits where it is, but other parts later, I wonder why the author chose to move away from Nora (at this specific point) to talk about the broader issues which don't always relate to what was just being discussed about Nora. I feel the book could be better organized, but it's still powerful, relevant, and important, so I can't give it lower than four starts. But it would have been five if it flowed a little better - and this may not bother others, it just bothered me a little bit.
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