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A review by macloo
Nation by Terry Pratchett
4.0
Highly enjoyable! This was my first book by Terry Pratchett, who is famous for his many-volume Discworld series. My understanding is that Nation is a departure for him. This book was written shortly after the devastating Southeast Asia tsunami of 2004, and it begins with a similar tsunami. The whole book takes place on one South Pacific island, where the people refer to themselves and their home as "the Nation."
Although the island, its people, and some other people who arrive there by boat are not historically or geographically real, there's no science fiction or fantasy in this story. In other words, these could all be real people, and the Nation could be a real cultural and ethic group on a tropical island. Their beliefs and customs are not very different from those of island peoples living in the 1800s (or possibly 1700s?), which is roughly the equivalent time period for this story. Some European-type people play roles in the story (one, a girl who is likely in her early teens, is a major character), and they are not the first of their kind to visit this part of the world.
This is the kind of young-adult book that an adult feels no guilt in reading. The two central characters -- Daphne, the European-type girl, and Mau, the island boy or almost-man -- think serious thoughts about big ideas, and they struggle with serious, adult challenges, such as how to protect other people from life-threatening injuries and foreign invaders. One recurring theme is the role of the gods (or religion more generally) in our lives. Mau has had his whole world turned upside-down by the tsunami, so he now questions EVERYTHING. Daphne, before crash-landing on the island, had been on a very eventful sea voyage with none of her family members accompanying her. She saw a lot of bad sailor behavior, and then on the island she encounters situations that make her question the whole idea of "savages."
Mau and Daphne are fully equal players in this journey of discovery. I liked both of them tremendously, and their story continued to offer up twists and turns I had not expected. Definitely a fun book to read -- but not a light or inconsequential one.
Although the island, its people, and some other people who arrive there by boat are not historically or geographically real, there's no science fiction or fantasy in this story. In other words, these could all be real people, and the Nation could be a real cultural and ethic group on a tropical island. Their beliefs and customs are not very different from those of island peoples living in the 1800s (or possibly 1700s?), which is roughly the equivalent time period for this story. Some European-type people play roles in the story (one, a girl who is likely in her early teens, is a major character), and they are not the first of their kind to visit this part of the world.
This is the kind of young-adult book that an adult feels no guilt in reading. The two central characters -- Daphne, the European-type girl, and Mau, the island boy or almost-man -- think serious thoughts about big ideas, and they struggle with serious, adult challenges, such as how to protect other people from life-threatening injuries and foreign invaders. One recurring theme is the role of the gods (or religion more generally) in our lives. Mau has had his whole world turned upside-down by the tsunami, so he now questions EVERYTHING. Daphne, before crash-landing on the island, had been on a very eventful sea voyage with none of her family members accompanying her. She saw a lot of bad sailor behavior, and then on the island she encounters situations that make her question the whole idea of "savages."
Mau and Daphne are fully equal players in this journey of discovery. I liked both of them tremendously, and their story continued to offer up twists and turns I had not expected. Definitely a fun book to read -- but not a light or inconsequential one.