Turtle Moon by Hannah Gold is a stunning new eco-fiction adventure novel with illustrations from Levi Pinfold. Aimed at young readers (8+), it sensitively deals with important issues like fertility, turtle conservation, poaching, and brims with the emotion and life force that only a Hannah Gold novel can produce.
This is the fourth of Hannah’s cli-fi and eco-fiction novels and is an absolute page-turner, like all those that came before. Please note the following review contains spoilers.
About Turtle Moon
“Each day that passed was one day closer to seeing the eggs hatch. And that was the bit she was looking forward to the most – the moment when they could release the hatchlings back into the ocean. Rafi said it was done under a full moon – known locally as a turtle moon – and that it was the most incredible spectacle in the known universe.”
Turtle Moon is a story about Silver Trevelon, and her parents Jack and Gerrie. Silver’s parents have struggled to conceive a second child. Despite trying to shield Silver from their grief, she has picked up on it, and even blames herself for her parents wanting a second child.
Silver’s father is an artist, and receives an invitation to go to a turtle sanctuary in Costa Rica to produce some paintings for the organisation. So, the family embarks on a four month adventure which will forever change them.
Turtle Beach is loosely based on the Tortuguero National Park on the northeast coast of Costa Rica. The sanctuary is run by Ana, and features a host of wonderful characters including an injured turtle called Luna, a parrot called Bonito, and a cute sloth called Speedy! Not to mention Rafi, who is central to the plot of the novel.
We learn that Leatherback turtles rarely visit Turtle Beach anymore. So, when one does come ashore to lay her eggs, with only Silver present, she takes it upon herself to become a guardian for the eggs. When disaster strikes it’s thanks to Rafi’s ingenuity, and Silver’s bravery that a rescue mission begins. It’s a mission that will help Silver’s parents see beyond their grief and strengthen their family bond.
Turtle Moon and eco-fiction
“To the children – the guardians of a better tomorrow.”
Hannah is one of the leading cli-fi and eco-fiction authors in the world. Her stories are some of the most beautifully told, taking readers on an emotional rollercoaster whilst educating them about some of the most pressing issues in the world today. She has also racked up an impressive list of awards and accolades, which include:
- Winner of Books for Topics Children’s Favourite Book – 2023
- Winner of the Edward Stanford Children’s Book of the Year 2023
- Winner of the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2022
- Winner of the Blue Peter Book Award 2022 for Best Story
- Shortlisted for The Week Junior Book Awards Children’s Book of the Year Older Fiction 2024
- Shortlisted for Indie Book Awards 2023
- Shortlisted for the British Book Awards (Children’s Book of the Year) 2022
- Shortlisted for the Indie Book Awards 2022
- Longlisted for the Wainwright Prize Children’s Writing 2024
- Nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal
- Saturday & Sunday Times Children’s Book of the Week
- Biggest hardback debut of 2021
Turtle Moon is destined to add to the impressive list above. It also features strong eco-fiction themes, including:
- There is a solid educational component, teaching readers about turtles and their importance in the marine ecosystem – “Silver now knew that most turtles fed on jellyfish and that, without the turtles, the jellyfish numbers would increase, and it was subtle imbalances like this that upset the entire make-up of the ocean.”
- The novel covers some of the threats to turtles in a subtle manner, so as not to draw the reader out of the story (this is an artform in itself).
- Hannah deals with the topic of poaching in a rational manner, and explains in the Author’s Note that, “I have tried not to assign any blame in this story. Instead, I showcase how Ana, like many, uses education and replacement of income as a means of tackling this challenge.”
- A clear link to the climate crisis is made in the novel, when Hannah explains how sand temperature affects the gender of the baby turtles, “If the sand was too hot, the turtles ended up being male. That’s why the warming air temperatures around the world were such a big problem for turtles. It meant not enough females were being born to continue the species.”
- At the end of the book, Hannah has listed some resources and websites for readers who wish to learn more about turtle conservation and things they can do to help.
- Anyone involved in the climate and environmental sphere knows how much of a toll these issues can take on our wellbeing. It feels like there is a dreadful weight upon our shoulders to turn the tide on our worsening predicament. With that being said, I took some solace from the encouragement at the conclusion of the Author’s Note, which said, “I hope my new story encourages you not to lose hope. Keep believing in your impact. Keep speaking up about the things you believe in.” I believe a lot of people need to hear that message, and I hope it reaches them all.
Summary
This beautiful novel was also a very personal one, as we learn from the acknowledgements. Hannah notes that, “Fertility is a delicate subject, often not talked about openly.” This is something Hannah manages to do in a sensitive manner, and as she says, “When life doesn’t manifest in the way you expected, there is still hope.” Hannah’s own story is testament to this.
I also found Turtle Moon to be a novel about healing the broken within us. The same could be said of Hannah’s previous novels, but this one felt like it resonated on a deeper level. It’s this emotional element which really sets Hannah’s books apart and make them some of my absolute favourite novels of all time. It goes without saying then that I highly recommend Turtle Moon, and I hope it brings some light into your life as well.
If you enjoyed Turtle Moon, I thoroughly recommend working your way through Hannah’s other cli-fi and eco-fiction books, which include The Last Bear, The Lost Whale, and Finding Bear. Hannah’s books are changing the world, and I hope they get the widest possible readership as humanity faces up to some of the biggest challenges in our history.
My new cli-fi children’s picture book, Nanook and the Melting Arctic is available from Amazon’s global stores including Amazon UK and Amazon US. My eco-fiction children’s picture book, Hedgey-A and the Honey Bees about how pesticides affect bees, is available on Amazon’s global stores including Amazon UK and Amazon US.