In her ambitious debut novel, All the Water in the World, Eiren Caffall crafts a haunting yet hopeful vision of a climate-changed future through the eyes of Nonie, a young girl with an extraordinary connection to water. Set in a flooded New York City, the story begins at “Amen” – a settlement on the roof of the American Museum of Natural History, where a small group of survivors maintains both their humanity and humanity’s collected knowledge.
Narrative Flow
The novel is structured in five distinct parts, each named after different manifestations of water – from “The Monster in the Water” to “Light Rain You Can Open Up and Drink.” This framework mirrors Nonie’s evolving relationship with water as both destroyer and sustainer, threat and promise. Caffall’s prose flows like the element central to her story – sometimes turbulent and devastating, other times gentle and life-giving.
Strengths
The author excels at weaving together multiple themes:
The preservation of knowledge and culture in crisis
The tension between survival and maintaining humanity
The bonds of family and chosen family
The power of stories and record-keeping
The resilience of community in the face of catastrophe
The novel’s greatest achievement lies in its treatment of loss and hope as interconnected forces. Through Nonie’s voice, we experience the grief of losing her mother, father, and home, while simultaneously discovering new forms of family and belonging.
Writing Style
Caffall’s prose is lyrical yet precise, scientific yet deeply emotional. Her background as a musician shows in the rhythm of her sentences and the attention to sound. The integration of scientific knowledge – from paleontology to meteorology – feels organic rather than didactic, thanks to Nonie’s natural curiosity about the world around her.
Character Development
Nonie
The protagonist’s growth from a silent, traumatized child to a young woman capable of both deep feeling and decisive action is masterfully rendered. Her special connection to water serves not just as a plot device but as a metaphor for her emotional development.
Supporting Cast
Bix – Nonie’s contradictory sister, whose fear of water represents broader anxieties about change
Keller – The entomologist whose scientific knowledge becomes a form of storytelling and healing
Mary and Esther – Complex characters who demonstrate different approaches to survival and care
Critical Analysis
While the novel’s strengths are considerable, there are some areas where it could be stronger:
The pacing in the middle section occasionally slows, particularly during the journey north
Some secondary characters could be more fully developed
The scientific explanations, while fascinating, sometimes interrupt the narrative flow
Thematic Depth
Knowledge as Survival
The novel’s setting in a natural history museum isn’t just backdrop – it’s a powerful metaphor for humanity’s attempt to preserve understanding in the face of catastrophe. The “Logbooks” maintained by the characters serve as both practical guides and philosophical anchors.
Water as Metaphor
Caffall uses water brilliantly as both literal threat and metaphorical force. Through Nonie’s special sensitivity to water, we explore themes of change, adaptation, and the fluid nature of survival.
Cultural Impact
All the Water in the World arrives at a crucial moment in climate fiction. Unlike many apocalyptic narratives that focus solely on survival, Caffall’s novel asks what we choose to save and why. Its emphasis on knowledge preservation and community building offers a fresh perspective in the genre.
Comparative Context
The novel sits comfortably alongside works like Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven and Octavia Butler’s Parable series, but brings its own unique focus on the intersection of scientific knowledge and human connection. The setting recalls Kim Stanley Robinson’s New York 2140, though with a more intimate scope.
Technical Elements
The author’s research shines through in her detailed descriptions of museum collections, weather patterns, and survival techniques. The integration of scientific terminology feels natural through Nonie’s perspective, enhanced by her fascination with the natural world.
Impact and Resonance
What sets this novel apart is its insistence on hope without naivety. The characters face brutal realities but maintain their humanity through:
Record-keeping and knowledge preservation
Building and maintaining communities
Finding new ways to define family
Balancing practical survival with cultural preservation
Verdict
All the Water in the World is a remarkable debut that succeeds on multiple levels. While it has minor flaws, its ambitious scope, emotional depth, and unique perspective on survival make it a significant contribution to climate fiction.
Recommendations For
Readers of thoughtful climate fiction
Those interested in museum culture and knowledge preservation
Fans of coming-of-age stories in unusual settings
Anyone seeking hope-filled but realistic apocalyptic fiction
Final Thoughts
In an era of increasing climate anxiety, Caffall offers neither false comfort nor despair, but something more valuable: a vision of how humanity might preserve not just its existence but its essence through crisis. The novel suggests that survival isn’t just about keeping our bodies alive, but about maintaining our connection to knowledge, community, and hope.
Like the water that flows through its pages, All the Water in the World carries readers through darkness and light, loss and discovery, ending not with resolution but with possibility—much like the ocean that beckons to Nonie at the story’s close.