How to Build a Boat

Elaine Feeney’s novel follows Jamie O’Neill, a neurodivergent boy whose curiosity sets him on a journey to connect with his late mother through science and art. Feeney blends humour, vulnerability, and lyrical prose to explore the systems that fail both students and teachers. The novel is filled with compassion and nuance, illustrating how communities form in unexpected places. Feeney’s sensitivity to voice and emotional detail creates a story that is both tender and quietly radical. It’s a novel about grief, belonging, and the small miracles of understanding one another.