All the Water in the World

Content Warning: This section discusses death, pregnancy loss, and racism.

The protagonist of All The Water in The World, Nonie (whose real name is Norah) was born shortly before the collapse of the state and doesn’t remember much of it. She grew up in Amen and has a close and special connection to the AMNH, both as the place she knows best and as a way of organizing the world. The novel never outright states but strongly implies that Nonie is neurodivergent. She has difficulty emoting in a way she feels is appropriate, often referencing how she can’t express feelings as she feels people expect her to. In addition, she has a sensory sensitivity that enables her to feel changes in air pressure. This gives her the ability to sense incoming storms and anticipate their severity. Jess, Amen’s teacher, refers to her as a human barometer.

Nonie frequently reflects on the close relationship she had with her mother, who paid special attention to her, nurturing her interests, and taught her to love water. In addition, Nonie has a remarkable memory for certain things and has memorized the names and locations of nearly all the AMNH exhibits.