Nation by Terry Pratchett

Mau and Daphne

I think my first experience with Sir Terry Pratchett's work was reading Good Omens (co-written with Neil Gaiman) aloud on a car ride with my dad. After that it was some of the humorous fantasy novels in the Discworld series that included Granny Weatherwax and her crew of witches and a few books about Mort. Over the years I have picked up an odd novel here and there set in the Discworld and the whole family enjoyed the Tiffany Aching trilogy. Have even had the opportunity to get my copy of The Last Hero signed by the man himself. Therefore, it was pretty much a no-brainer when I saw that his award winning young adult novel, Nation, was on sale as an e-book for a ridiculously low price.

Nation is set mainly in an 1800s version of the South Pacific Islands in a world very similar to ours. It focuses on a young islander, Mau, who is just completing the right of passage to become a man when disaster strikes and destroys his world. Joining Mau on his journey is a young, ship-wrecked girl named Daphne and together they deal with grief, love, theology and what it means to be a people, a nation.

This book is fantastic in the thought-provoking way in which the characters question why life is the way it is. Why do bad things happen? If there are gods, why wouldn't they intervene for good people? Is it wrong to question the way things have always been? What causes one society to rise to greater heights of achievement and science than another? It also is dripping with the subtle humor that pervades  Terry Pratchett's work.

There are some difficult scenes in the book. I wouldn't recommend having it read by children under 11 or so without parental involvement since there is death and implied danger and medical procedures and the occasional "Show us yer drawers!" from a foul-mouthed parrot who is also quite a character in his own right.

I heartedly recommend that you grab a copy of Nation and give it a go or read it with your children. It is an empowering tale about dealing with loss and moving forward to achieve great things. About strength in not giving up. There are strong boy and girl characters to identify with and clever dialogue and thoughtful evaluation of religion and its place in our lives. Grab a copy and enjoy your time on the island with Nation, 5 Mick Happies.