The Loneliest Polar Bear

Starred review from December 7, 2020
Journalist Williams debuts with an informative and heartfelt portrayal of the Arctic in distress. At the center of the story is a polar bear cub named Nora who was born at Ohio’s Columbus Zoo in 2015, abandoned by her mother, and subsequently raised by a devoted team that, among other things, donned wet suits to coax her to swim. “Every cub—wild or captive—shoulders a share of the burden of a species in peril,” Williams writes, and, indeed Nora became famous as “the sad-eyed face of climate change” and drew 250,000 visitors to the zoo in six months. She also serves here as a jumping off point for Williams’s exploration of climate change. He describes an Alaskan Inupiat village where rising temperatures have impacted hunters and surveys “all the ways humans and polar bears” are “inextricably tangled,” skillfully interweaving the dramatic survival struggle in the Arctic with the no-less-emotional work of conservationists who have used polar bears to bring “the far-flung realities of climate change” home to the U.S. This page-turner is sure to captivate animal lovers, nature enthusiasts, and anyone looking for a touching story. Agent: Anna Sproul-Latimer, Neon Literary.

January 1, 2021

In this debut, science and environmental journalist Williams chronicles the life of Nora, a polar bear cub whose mother abandoned her days after her birth at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. Nora is raised by zoo staff, who must deal with her physical and mental challenges, from creating a proper formula for her to eat as a cub to alleviating her anxiety as she matures. Through Nora's story, Williams weaves information about polar bear research, both in captivity and in the wild. He intersperses the history of Indigenous people of the Arctic, past and present. In doing so, he illuminates the increasing barriers to their traditional way of life caused by late-forming sea ice and warming temperatures, connecting these concerns to climate change and similar issues faced by polar bears. Finally, he covers climate change itself as both a political and a societal issue. VERDICT While there are some confusing segues, overall, this is an absorbing, extensively researched book for fans of popular science and those who appreciate stories about polar bears, both captive and wild, as well as behind-the-scenes work at zoos. Readers interested in learning more about polar bears and their changing habitats should also try James Raffan's Ice Walker (2019).--Sue O'Brien, Downers Grove, IL

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2021
The story of a polar bear cub named Nora reveals the complex relationship among humans, animals, and the world we share. Polar bears have long symbolized the "wild north," a habitat that has steadily eroded due to global warming--and which is currently in critical danger. As Oregonian reporter Williams shows, polar bears have "become the sad-eyed face of climate change...represent[ing] the damage humans have done to the earth." In this eye-opening book, the author brings us deeply into the life of Nora, who was raised by a group of compassionate human "moms" after being abandoned by her mother in captivity at the Columbus Zoo. Few readers will be able to resist the charms of this feisty and strong-willed cub. Of course, writes Williams, that is exactly the point: Big, lovable animals like polar bears are adorable ambassadors for their species and habitats, and by connecting them with humans, it gives the public a reason to care about their welfare. However, this interplay touches on two major conflicts, the causes and effects of climate change and the role of zoos: "Are zoos helping animals or hurting them?" Williams deftly navigates these tricky subjects, chronicling the lives of the Indigenous people inhabiting a melting landscape in the far north and the expert team of animal handlers responsible for Nora's upbringing. The author weaves these topics together through tales of challenge and triumph, letting the characters and the science demonstrate how much is at stake. Even though the warming planet has little to offer in the way of good news, Williams never loses hope that things can change and that humans can improve their behavior toward animals. "Their stories have power," he writes of animal ambassadors, a pronouncement that his compelling book bears out. A well-written tribute to a creature whose struggle to survive is one of many calls to action to save our ailing planet.

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March 1, 2021
Reporter Williams has created an attention-grabber from page one. Aurora, a polar bear residing at the Columbus Zoo, had given birth to two cubs. One died after a few days, but the second cub was nursing well and thriving until Aurora walked out of the den and never went back. The story of saving Nora, as the abandoned cub was eventually named, is intertwined with accounts of international efforts to save the polar bear from extinction. As zookeepers and veterinarians scramble to keep Nora alive, Williams tells the parallel story of scientists struggling to explain global climate change to a skeptical public and government. As Nora grows, we learn about how her father came into captivity after being orphaned when his mother was killed and how scientists study polar bears in the wild. Williams widens the lens to set Nora's tale amid human history in the Arctic while also illuminating the role zoos play in education and in the breeding of endangered species. This compulsively readable narrative demonstrates how forging a connection with one cute polar bear cub can inspire people to learn about and call for the protection of wild polar bears and their threatened habitat.

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