How Far Does a Mother's Love Reach?: An Essay on "Saving Noah" by Lucinda Berry

"Saving Noah" by Lucina Berry is about a suburban family from Buffalo Grove, IL and how their life is affected after their 15 year old son Noah confesses to having molested two young girls on the swim team he coaches. Noah’s mother Adrianne since hearing the confession stands by her son, feeling that her love as a mother has no limits. She makes sure he tries to have as normal of a life as he can, not treating Noah differently after leaving an 18 month treatment program. While his father barely acknowledges his son and refuses to let him come back home after treatment, due to his concern for the younger sister Katie.

This book is not an easy one to read, there are a lot of complex emotions brought out due to this, and I feel it presents the opportunity to discuss how society responds to crime and how society deals with rehabilitation of criminals. Lucinda Berry’s experience as a psychologist and lead researcher in childhood trauma really shines in this book, the subject matter is handled professionally, and allows the reader to be presented with a story of empathy shown towards someone who is often cast out by society. That can be a difficult situation to be put in especially when a lot of reactions to crime is an emotional one. Lucinda puts the reader in the shoes of Noah’s mom who continues to express love and caring for her son who has committed a sex crime against a child. It’s a wonderfully written, beautiful story of a mother trying to save her son, a son who expresses regret for what he has done, but is continually punished by society even after treatment. It tugs at emotions for both the victims of the crime, but it allows for us to feel for Noah, a child himself, as well. “Saving Noah” is a story of a mother’s love for their child, an intimate look at criminality and society’s response to it. It holds up a mirror to our own emotions. It digs for emotions that may make us uncomfortable.

I left this book wondering how we can do better to provide treatment to those in society who would commit these crimes. How can those hurt by the crime be helped and how can we respond to the perpetrator from the lens of rehabilitation, reparations, without the utilization of the prison industrial complex. The approach of “Throw them in jail!!!” still allows future perpetrators to commit these sex crimes, and I’d ask those who say this, “Would you risk your child to catch a child predator?”. We need to examine society and our systems we have in place to address criminality and how effective they actually are at crime prevention, and not just crime response. I feel this book is one that everyone should read. Yes, it is a complex and difficult read, but it is one that tells a beautiful story, it is a story that forces us to reflect on ourselves, and society, and presents the opportunity to ask ourselves...

“How can we do better?”

- F.A.