Nation
Mythopoeic Fantasy Award nominee for Children's Literature 2009.
Finding himself alone on a desert island when everything and everyone he knows and loved has been washed away in a huge storm, Mau is the last surviving member of his nation. He's also completely alone – or so he thinks until he finds the ghost girl. She has no toes, wears strange lacy trousers like the grandfather bird and gives him a stick which can make fire.
Daphne, sole survivor of the wreck of the Sweet Judy, almost immediately regrets trying to shoot the native boy. Thank goodness the powder was wet and the gun only produced a spark. She's certain her father, distant cousin of the Royal family, will come and rescue her but it seems, for now, all she has for company is the boy and the foul-mouthed ship's parrot. As it happens, they are not alone for long.
Other survivors start to arrive to take refuge on the island they all call the Nation and then raiders accompanied by murderous mutineers from the Sweet Judy. Together, Mau and Daphne discover some remarkable things – including how to milk a pig and why spitting in beer is a good thing – and start to forge a new Nation.
As can be expected from Terry Pratchett, the master story-teller, this new children's novel is both witty and wise, encompassing themes of death and nationhood, while being extremely funny. Mau's ancestors have something to teach us all. Mau just wishes they would shut up about it and let him get on with saving everyone's lives!
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Terry Pratchett
Terry Pratchett’s work was nothing short of magical, blending satire, wit, and a deep love for the absurd with stories that could make you laugh, think, and occasionally question reality. Born in 1948 in Beaconsfield, England, Pratchett's sharp humor and keen observations of human nature started early. After a series of journalistic jobs and a stint in publishing, he found his true calling as a writer of fantasy—albeit with a twist.
Pratchett’s most famous creation, the Discworld series, is a sprawling, multi-layered universe filled with quirky characters, sharp satire, and an unrelenting exploration of the complexities of society. The series—spanning over 40 novels—introduces readers to a world supported by four giant elephants standing on the back of Great A’Tuin, the giant turtle swimming through space. It’s a place where witches, wizards, and talking cats wander through settings that are both fantastical and familiar, a perfect mirror to our own world, full of politics, absurdity, and endless curiosity.
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