Nation

Terry Pratchett is my favorite author, and Nation is one of his best ever. Though it is billed as a children's story, it speaks to adults as well, and makes us look at how we would react at a time of total upheaval in our life. It is not a Discworld story, but takes place in a world very close to ours. As we celebrate Discworld holidays ( Soul Cake Tuesday, Hogswatch) we now celebrate Mothering Sunday. Read the book to find out!

Pretty much anything that he writes delights me. I loved Mau and Daphne. I loved the old man birds and the grandmothers. I loved the idea of an advanced ancient culture hiding in the guise of simple islanders. I would read many more such books.

Although those familiar with Pratchett's Discworld series will see some shades of the obsession with the past covered in Pyramids and the nature of faith covered in Small Gods, the true core of this book is the question of what defines a community. As always, Pratchett looks at the good, the bad, and the banal that is humankind and affirms that yes for all its faults, it is worthwhile.

A new kind of Pratchett( for me at least) It's a great story in "Lord of The Flies" fashion, but this story gives the protagonist credit for having a greater sense of community than Goldings youngsters. Ostensibly written for young readers, this story is not limited to that genre and at 60 yrs old, I found it well thought out and entertaining. Highly recommended.

I love Pratchett. This is not a Discworld book, but that does not matter to me although I do adore Discworld. I loved the Johnny books, too, as well as the Bromeliads and Carpet People. Nation is a truly genius and moving work. Buy it. Read it. Pass it on.

Pratchett is the best. This wonderful book can be read on a number of levels, (although you'll be disappointed if you expect the usual puns and footnotes). Instead of light and bubbly, this book is sad and quiet and deep. This book has a soul.

I really like all of Terry Pratchett's Discworld (fantasy) books, including this one. You will best enjoy reading them in the order published, but they're good on their own. They have a unique, fey humor: I expect you will like all or none, so if they're new to you, get just one to begin with.

Not all books translate to audio well, but this is a excellent choice. I've been teaching 8th grade English for fifteen years, and I'd even recommend the audio over the book. The "razor-sharp satire" contained within emanates superbly in this reading. I ended up listening to it at least four times before returning it to my brother who wanted to listen to it again himself. I bought a copy for my best friend, and now I'm thinking of getting my own. One of the better audio books I've ever listened to, and I listen to them constantly on my way to and from work each day.

When I asked about the book my friend Jim said, "you will only think that it has been a shame that Pterry has spent so much time writing in Diskword". Sure enough; what he presents is a thought provoking book about civilization, life, faith, companionship and human instinct. I do miss DEATH, but there are footnotes like only Pterry can write.

Nation is a make-believe place in a make-believe time around the age of England's Queen Victoria. The characters are young people who have to decide whether to cling to old ways of thinking or embrace new ones. It is an average book that will leave Terry Pratchett fans a little depressed. Do not expect much to make you laugh.

A young man is the lone survivor of his island tribe "The Nation" due to a tidal wave in the S. Pacific. He shows courage, intelligence and compassion in overcoming his despair and lack of knowledge. Others are drawn to his island and he must now care for them. Great book. Inspirational without being sappy.

this is a book club book or i would have gave up on it right away.. its not a bad book really but its just so boring & i couldn't get into the book too many characters added i couldn't rememever most of them took me 3 weeks!!! i usually read a book in a week or less, the only thing that was truly good was when you find out that its a story being told about Nation

This author was diagnosed with early onset Alschimer's this year. I don't know when he wrote this book, but it is a message of hope to all that read it. I suspect some help with this novel since his wife is named as co-suthor, but also because there are only 2 of Prattchett's usual footnotes.

Nation is written with humor as well as with a conscience. It is a departure from Terry Pratchett's Disc World series, with a more serious theme. The ethical/moral aspects of the story are in line with Pratchett's more recent works. It seems Mr. Pratchett, having captured his audience, is more about espousing ecological, political views. I applaud his bully pulpit behavior.

As a dedicated Pratchett fan I was disappointed to find that this latest offering is not a Discworld novel and, in fact, is a complete departure from anything I have read of his before (and I think I've read EVERYTHING!). That being said, the story is good although lacking in the usual Pratchett witticisms and comedy, in fact lacking in anything definitively Pratchett at all. If you're a Discworld fan and seeking another fix, this isn't it. If you're looking for a pleasant feel-good story but without the usual Pratchett bite, it's a good read.

Pratchett never ceases to amaze. "Nation"—the clash of European and South Seas culture; romance; headhunters and pirates; mystery; religion and science and doubt and belief; bridges between the past and the future; a theory about the beginnings of technology and "civilization"; a foul-mouthed parrot; and how to milk a feral sow—all wrapped up in a page-turning story. What more can you want? A couple of quotes: "It takes a lifetime to learn to die." "Imo (the Creator) made us clever enough to work out that He does not exist." My only regret is that it ended too soon; yes, the story was done, but I wanted to live on The Island.

This novel about the aftermath of a natural disaster in the Pacific Islands is fine, but it doesn't quite spark the joy and humor in me that I expect from Terry Pratchett at his Discworld / Good Omens best. I think I would have better enjoyed reading about these native characters rebuilding their home without the presence of shipwrecked foreigners, even if Sir Terry does use the opportunity to poke a little fun at British imperialism along the way. Still, this is leagues better than Dodger, Pratchett's other late-career foray away from his regular series.

I've read many of the Disc World books but this is the first Pratchett stand alone book I've read. It is based in a small island which is devastated by a huge wave.
If you enjoy the way Pratchett uses humour to examine serious issues and mixes fact with fantasy you'll love this read.
People who know these things talk of Pratchett's anger but to me he is an author who finds novel ways to make his readers question why should things be this way.
Imaginative, endearing characters trying to understand disasters, religion, and cultural differences in an entertaining way. I did find the read a little uneven at times but overall a thought provoking and enjoyable read.

Unlike many reviewers, I'm new to Terry Pratchett. I've never read his "Discworld" series or any of his other offerings; his name often comes up when discussing witty fantasy writers, but for whatever reason, I never gave him too much thought...until now. "Nation" came highly recommended from a friend as one of the best book's he'd read, and as his literary tastes tend to mirror mine relatively frequently, I gave it a go. Wow, this was a great book! I hesitate to say that any book is the best book ever, but it certainly didn't disappoint. Spoilers follow.

The story primarily focuses on two main characters. Mau has just undergone his island nation's right of passage. Having survived the trials of Boy Island and leaving his boy's soul there, he is heading back to the Nation to celebrate and receive his man's soul when a tidal wave destroys his home and kills his people. As the only survivor, he must rebuild the Nation and act as the leader to the refugees who come to his island, even though he doubts his beliefs, traditions, and readiness to carry out the task.

Daphne (or Ermintrude, though she hates this name and refuses to use it whenever possible) is a society girl from England. She is on her way to join her father, the governor of Port Mercia, when her ship falls victim to a couple unfortunate events: first a mutiny and then the tidal wave. Much like Mau, she is believed to be the sole survivor of the tsunami and ends up on the Nation, a world completely different from her own.

This all takes place in a world similar to, but not exactly like our own. The time is around the nineteenth century. The Western World is being ravaged by a plague (The Russian Flu) and the English monarchy seems to be rapidly dying off (thankfully, they have a solid plan of succession just for this occasion). The ideas of colonialism are running strong through "Nation's" England; but while these things may be familiar, there are plenty of bizarre elements to this world: different technology, geography, and animals (sadly, we have no tree octopi), to name a few. It's whimsical and fantastical while still being somewhat grounded in our world and makes for an interesting setting.

The story is wonderfully thought out. Though the idea of two people being stuck on an island isn't terribly original, Pratchett manages to put his own unique flavour on things and take them in a new direction. Everything comes full circle, and you need to pay attention to detail because many things are referenced throughout the novel or come into play at key points.

When I read this, I was unaware that it was a Young Adult novel; while the characters themselves are young, the themes covered are quite mature. Some of the ideas presented are coming of age, questioning beliefs and traditions, critical thinking and analyzing, and moving forward without getting stuck in the past. What's more, Pratchett doesn't seem to be advocating one belief of way of life over another and instead seems to be encouraging keeping an open mind and taking a critical look at why we believe or do certain things. These are all wonderfully woven into the story and don't come off as a heavy-handed attempt to throw in as many big ideas as possible; they feel very believable in the context of the book.

On a final story-related note, the ending isn't a typical "happy ending." Mau and Daphne don't fall in love, get married, or otherwise live "happily ever after." Their relationship doesn't develop beyond a close friendship; at the end of the book, they go their separate ways and live out their individual lives, though it is made clear that their experiences have a great impact on them. Some readers may be disappointed by the lack of romance and happy ending, but I rather enjoyed it as a way of saying "life goes on." This wasn't an end-all event for the main characters: it was the beginning of a new way of life with new ideas that shaped who they would become. The ending emphasizes the idea that this story is one pivotal event in the characters' lives, yet it is not all they do with in their existence and both must move on, taking what they have gained and using it to grow.

The writing combines elements of both witty and serious prose, coming together to tell a story that touches on serious, thought provoking themes with clever dialogue and prose and several amusing annotations and side-notes. As I stated earlier, I haven't read any of Pratchett's other works, so I'm not sure how common these annotations are, but they certainly added to the story and, in some cases, helped flesh out the characters and world. The style of writing makes the novel an enjoyable and unique read with subtle humour, but doesn't gloss over or otherwise hide the serious events and ideas that are portrayed.

The characters are great. Mau and Daphne make for compelling (and sometimes highly entertaining) main characters. Both represent the best qualities of their respective cultures and both must turn a critical eye on their way of life. They demonstrate a lot of development throughout the book and come out having learned a great deal from one another, using that knowledge to become better people. Pratchett does a fine job in giving them both back stories, motivations, and inner conflicts; you'll really care about these two protagonists, their individual growth, and their friendship with one another.

The side and secondary characters are also generally well done. Most have a specific role in the story or represent a certain idea. They also grow and change throughout the story, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worst. Some characters are more symbolic while others are a little more in the background. The mutineers don't get a whole lot of characterization beyond being racist and generally bad, but oddly, this doesn't seem to detract from the novel, as they play a small role in the grand scheme of the story. Pratchett has a pretty good hand on his characters; he knows what to do with them and none end up feeling like wasted space.

Overall, "Nation" is a wonderful book. Don't let the Young Adult classification scare you away; the novel touches on complex themes using compelling, well-thought out characters and snappy writing that adds a subtle touch of humour to an otherwise serious book. Pratchett never seems to preach at the reader, but rather encourages them to make their own decisions regarding their lives and beliefs. Is "Nation" the best book ever? That's up to the reader...and this novel is certainly worth a read.

I have been telling people all week about this book. It touches on so many Big Ideas we all live with. I'm a big fan of Terry Pratchett, but I didn't know how I would take to a non-discworld book. But I immediately took to Mau...not quite so quickly to Daphne. As she developed, though, I admired her a lot. I think you will, too. What got my attention was the idea that people, without their social structure around them, have to reconstruct who they are. When forced to become acquainted with people from a completely different society, they have to cooperate in order to survive. By the end of the book so much has happened that I can't tell you what it is because it's just too good to spoil.

I "read" the first part of this book while driving my car. Don't look at me that way. I had my Kindle reader read it to me. Okay. I know that means I had a robot read to me. I know that can get annoying because a non-human is wrestling with getting the words right without knowing at all what she is reading. I found, however, that this worked particularly well with a Terry Pratchett book. His wry, sarcastic turns of phrases worked better when read by a robot precisely because she didn't know what she was saying. Her deadpan delivery made me laugh out loud. I recommend you try it out.

Pratchett's Nation tightly weaves living "story" vines so every thought touch all the others. Maybe Nation is a romance novel? It's certainly a love story and for sure a deeply spiritual adventure. It may not answer the universal spiritual questions, but powerfully asks them: Does God exist? How can God permit evil? What is God like? What is the purpose and efficacy of prayer?
Terry Pratchett's Young Adult novel introduces numbers 139 and 140 in line of succession to the British throne. The drama intensifies as numbers 1-138 quickly meet their untimely deaths. Fortunately, 139 and 140 are relatively safe if you ignore the mutiny, tsunami, shipwreck, abandonment on a devastated island, cannibals and an upbringing that prevents 140 (Daphne) from doing anything practical, although she's quite the student of 19th Century Science and sees it as the preferred alternative to religion. You might say she's a proper nob lass with a ton of baggage, not the least of which was the earlier loss of her mother and newborn brother and the domination of herself and her father (139) by her paternal grandmother. Daphne's propriety extends to her wearing both pantaloons and unmentionables beneath her grass skirt, and of course the cleanest blouse she could manage under the circumstances.
Mau, the Pacific Islander, like Daphne, loses his entire family and community while they await the completion of his coming of age mission. Trapped with neither a boy's nor a man's soul, Locaha, the god of death, worshiped by the head-hunting cannibals, chases after Mau. The ghosts of Mau's Grandfathers haunt the incomplete and untrained Mau, urging him to restore spiritual order. He's angry with his nagging ancestors and the divine power that allowed such destruction. Fate brings Mau, the clever survivor together with the "ghost girl" (Daphne). They soon save each other's lives, find ways of communicating and deepening their mutual affection. Daphne is sensitive to the ghostly voices of Mau's Grandmothers, who share a message totally different from that of Mau's Grandfathers. The question arises: Can the successor to the British Crown find happiness with a "primitive" islander? In reality, Mau is no less a royal than Daphne. He is the Nation.
Mau and Daphne grow as other survivors arrive along with their problems. Mau finds milk for a starving infant on an island with none of the usual sources of milk, and lives to tell about it. Daphne delivers babies. Following directions in the wrecked ship's medical manual she saws off a man's shattered leg below the knee and dips the stump into a bucket of hot tar. Mau asks, "Didn't that hurt?" Daphne shrugged, "Not if you lift the bucket by the handle." Mercifully, Mrs. Gurgle, a balding, wrinkled, toothless elder crouching in a dark corner is well versed in herbal pharmacology and anesthesiology.
The thrilling climax features the wonders of pharmacological dark magic, the strategy of David versus Goliath, "honor among cannibals," if not Europeans, the revelation of the primacy of the Nation and a diplomatic coup that allows the Nation to dodge assimilation while enjoying an affiliation with the British Empire. Daphne graciously accepts a compliment from a cannibal under-chief. He told her she is so bright that he'd love to eat her brain. Mau and Daphne face painful decisions that test their mutual love, growth, maturity and sense of duty.
Nation succeeds as a Young Adult novel while reaching out to the older audience. Young adults Mau and Daphne grow through confrontation with real-life problems. They maintain remarkable focus, honesty, generosity and most importantly, self-sacrifice for the good of the Nation. Members of every generation should stand as tall. The reader learns with them as Terry Pratchett weaves in references to history, literature, astronomy, geography, geology, anthropology and especially biology. The antics of a sea-captain's iconoclastic parrot and such exotic species as the beer-drinking, upchucking pantaloon bird and the legendary tree octopus (not to be confused with the North American species (Octopus aborishoaxiensis) continue to amaze, chapter after chapter.

When reading something by Terry Pratchett you expect it to be witty, funny, and maybe a little thought provoking. This is a little funny, pretty witty, and incredibly thought provoking. It is one of my favorite books that our book club has done.
Mau is a boy that lives on an island not too dissimilar from the islands in the South Pacific. Having completed his journey to manhood, he is on his way back to his island Nation for his celebration when a giant tidal wave sweeps through the island chain. He survives in his canoe, but when he reaches The Nation he discovers that he is the only one. Ermintrude (but don't call her that) has lived a very proper sheltered life back home. Her controlling grandmother liked to remind her that only 139 people needed to die for her to become Queen, so she must behave like a proper lady. But Ermintrude prefers going to the Royal Society lectures with her father, and studying the stars, and learning about all kinds of different things. She was on the way to the Port Mercia, where her father serves governor for the Empire, when the wave wrecks her ship on The Nation. She, and a foul-mouthed parrot, are the only survivors. Through Mau and Ermintrude (who prefers to be called Daphne), we learn about what it takes to make a society, to rebuild a nation. As survivors of the wave flock to the nation another piece of society is added. Pratchett confronts religion and belief, and what they do for a society as well as how they hinder it. He talks about finding common ground and working for the common good; about taking care of each other because we cannot survive alone. He talks about respect, and justice, and making your place in a world that is different from the one you've known all your life. I loved nearly everything about this book, and I recommend it to everyone.

On the day the world ended, Mau was lucky enough to be in his canoe. He had just completed the test that would make him a man and was eager to return to the main island for the ceremonies. The titanic wave that swept over his island washed him far out to sea, and by the time Mau managed to paddle back, he realized that everyone was gone.

A few days later, Mau discovers that he is not alone after all. A girl about his age was washed onto the island by the wave, leaving her the only survivor of her ship. Mau doesn't know it, but Daphne just happens to be the daughter of the King of England, not that any of that matters now.

In the following days and weeks, more stragglers find their way to Mau's island, and a new nation is born from the devastation of the old. The first thing that Mau and Daphne realize is that the old world is dead and some of the customs and traditions they used to observe don't make much sense anymore. The world has changed, and if Mau and Daphne are to survive, they will have to change with it.

Nation is a cute story that kids will probably enjoy. The setup is your basic odd-couple scenario, something like a Tarzan and Jane. Mau and Daphne come from very different backgrounds, and they must learn each other's language and customs. Terry Pratchett wrote some funny scenes about the misunderstandings that arise between the two while they are learning.

Stephen Briggs is a capable enough narrator, but I'm not sure he was the best choice for Nation. He is British, and it felt a little strange hearing the island natives speaking with British accents.

If you're looking for some light reading that might give you a few good chuckles, or if your kids are looking for something new to read, give Nation a try. Recommended by the publisher for ages 9 and up.

I loved the Nation, Terry Pratchett's reflection on death, chance, the gods and beer. In the mid-19th century, after a tidal wave devastates a South Seas island, Mau (a local boy), Daphne (a marooned white English girl) and a motley assortment of islanders, must work together to rebuild their lives. Mau is assaulted by conscience-like voices of the grandfathers, ancestors who badger him about his failings. Daphne is haunted by the death of her mother and baby brother. Naturally, these two opposites attract and help each other to survive the harshness of their new surroundings.

Pratchett really gets into Mau's head. The boy is haunted by the demands of the ancestors and the gods, but in a rage that they did nothing to prevent the killer wave, or at least warn him about it. He comes to rely on himself, and his motto "Does not happen" -- his insistence that there is no fate, only the unwillingness of people to allow evil to happen. This stance takes Mau pretty far and goes a long way toward making a decent life for the islanders.

The book relies non deliberate revisionism to drive home its point about the inherent worth of all people. While there is a great deal of casual racism by certain evil characters who come to the island, the place is a social paradise, where anyone who wishes to contribute can. The old world, with its gender, class and racial distinctions, was largely washed away with the tsumani. Still the islanders, especially Mau, struggle with the fact that "trouser men" (whites) have so much technology, while he and his people have so little. Is he unworthy? Cursed? Not smart enough? Pratchett's solution to this conundrum is clever and ennobling, if not historical.

The Nation is another in a long line of Pratchett's brilliant and funny musings on the follies and saving graces of the human race. A delight from its drowned beginning to its bittersweet ending.

Without setting a novel in the Discworld universe, it might initially be thought that Pratchett was treading water or that his inspiration had failed. Nothing could be further from the truth. In Nation he has created something of a parable or an extended metaphor. The author celebrates the nature of community, the birth of nations and of cultures, the nature of beliefs and the illusions that sustain them, and ultimately the creation of an individual. The individual: that single unique person who essentially becomes the atom of all civilizations.

This is a young adult novel whose message is ageless. Two young people populate a tsunami ravaged island following the catastrophe that giant wave created. The two teenagers contain all the best of the utterly different societies that made them. They are, in a very real sense, Adam and Eve in an alternate universe. What results from their struggles and adventures is the source of all the beauty and depth that Pratchett produces using prose that is both lean and slyly witty. Nation is a wonderful, sometimes funny, frequently poignant novel that has much to say and says it wisely and entertainingly. You do not have to be a Discworld initiate to love this book (although it wouldn't hurt if you are).

Sometimes you have to write a review on a book as soon as you finish it. Otherwise the memories and thoughts of what have made it so great aren't as clear. Although I am finding it hard to think that I will ever forget the story I just finished.

I will always remember the day I finished some of my much-loved books. Some books are good, some are bad, some are great, but few have that ever-lasting memory that makes them spectacular for me. I have four authors that I will recall when I am old that brought me the special gift of storytelling, each in their own way, that have made them a favourite for me: Jeffrey Archer, Douglas Adams, Frank Herbert and Terry Pratchett. Two have passed on leaving a legacy for future generations and two are alive and still writing.

The day that I read that Terry Pratchett had Alzheimer's I cried. Not for the loss to the writing community, but the eventual loss to him that he would never remember what a special world he created with Discworld. Discworld is one of my favourite series of books, and I love the characters and the world Pratchett has created with all my heart and soul.

Before this year I hadn't read many of Pratchett's non-Discworld books, but started with "Only You Can Save Mankind", "Johnny and the Dead" and "Good Omens".

None of these compare to Nation. Nation is the only the second serious book by Terry Pratchett, who will always be best noted for his humour.

Nation made me smile, laugh and cry.

It is the story of an older world than ours, a world of Newton and Darwin. It's the story of a set of islands that are almost destroyed by a tidal wave, and how a young boy and girl (Mau and Daphne) learn to grow and learn to belief, as they struggle to rebuild a Nation.

This book is aimed at the younger set, 10-12 year olds, and is definitely a classsic story of adventure and heroes. If there is any book in my modest library that I hope my boys read one day this is it.

My favourite line is right near the end:
"You really want to go back? There are no second chances. There are no chances. There is just... what happens."

As my life gets filled everyday with more surprises and challenges, I like this line a lot. There is just what happens.

Wrapping a cannon in papervine? Don't try this at home.

Shooting bullets through water? Don't try this at home.

Thinking? That's up to you...

In Terry Pratchett's Nation, the world seems to be going on as it ever has. The Russian influenza takes its toll in even the highest circles of the court. The Sweet Judy gets swept into a hurricane. Mau prepares to leave the Boy's Island and become a man. Somewhere among the Mothering Sunday Islands lies the Mrs. Ethel J. Bundy's Birthday Island.

In other words, all is normal and relatively sane. And then the end of the world bursts in to shake things up.

Mau, halfway home to becoming a man, sees the world end and is the only one left to tell about it. The only one, that is, except for the sole survivor of the wreck of the Sweet Judy, a forelorn priest named Ataba, a tongue-tied woman and her baby, a couple of fishermen, one very pregnant wife, and, oh, lots of others who stumble across Mau's island in the middle of the Sunrise Islands in the Great Southern Pelagic Seas,

And Mau, still only halfway home to becoming a man, becomes chief of the motley tribe.

If you've read Pratchett's books before, you know enough already. If not, expect a wild ride. Don't expect a safe, tidy world, though. I didn't find this book as light-hearted as some, but Pratchett is hardly ever entirely light-hearted. And, while his writing might not be for everyone, Pratchett has the knack of taking the simplest questions and turning them on their head. What is a nation? What does it mean for the world to end? For that matter, what does the world mean at all? Also, what exactly are the limits of papervine?

So, enjoy the ride.

Terry Pratchett has been writing for years - decades really with an average of two books released each year. The man is a writing machine - in an evil genius with a twisted, cynical sense of humor way. His main franchise is the Discworld series - these are light science fiction fantasy books about a world that is flat, held up by four elephants on the back of a giant turtle. Image rich, needless to say. In Discworld, magic is alive and there are wizards and witches - all fully developed and have their own turns in various volumes. I'm sure that if J.K. Rowling was cornered on where her inspirations for Harry Potter came from, somewhere in that collection, I'm sure of it - a Terry Pratchett book exists.
However, Nation is not part of the Disc World. It is based here on our own Round World. It's actually a story intended for Young Adults but again, completely enjoyable for us older folks. So Nation stands alone with new characters and it is a coming of age story for Mau, who lives somewhere in a chain of islands referred to as The Nation by its people. The main island is Mau's home and while he is away undergoing the rite of passage into adulthood on a neighboring island, a huge tsunami passes thru The Nation and wipes out it's civilization. Mau returns to an empty world. All that he has known has been swept away. But the wave also swept something in - a mast-ship it leaves wrecked amongst the palms on the island. All of the crew lost save for a young girl named Daphne.
I want to read to you the book's synopsis because truly, this is what peaked my interest in the story and I love how it sums up that first meeting between Mau and Daphne - so here goes:
"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."
Later, Mau and Daphne join forces, move beyond their differences and help the straggling groups of survivors as they arrive on the island.
This is a wonderful story of how different cultures and perceptions come together thru adversity to make a stronger, united front - and all on a lush, tropical isle.
So if you're new to Terry Pratchett, I cannot think of a better way to start and if you are already a fan, Nation is a brilliant depart from the Discworld series.

In his young adult novel Nation, British fantasy author Terry Pratchett explores coming of age when laws and social structures cease to exist. A Tsunami in the fictional Pelagic Ocean strands a native boy, Mau, and shipwrecks on the same island a girl named Erminitrude from someplace akin to Mid-Victorian England. Surrounded by death and destruction, Mau and Erminitrude overcome their fear and distrust of each other and work together to save themselves and other survivors and misfits who arrive on the island in the wake of the great wave.

Mau assumes the position of chief, not through force or manipulation, but purely through service. He sacrifices his own well-being for the good of the weakest individuals within the group and courageously defends his new tiny Nation against pirates and cannibals. Erminitrude changes her name to Daphne and begins to appreciate the nobility of those she once dismissed as "uncivilized" and recognizes the savagery of some supposedly civilized people.

The novel is rich with allusions and a humor that appeals to teens and adults alike. There are some mystical/fantasy elements and an occasional scene with mild profanity or nearly profane slang. The book begins with the native creation myth of Mau's people, including an introduction to the ancestral gods of life and death. Through the myth, the reader gains exceptional insight into Mau's thoughts and motives and the gift of examining traditional western values and ideas from a different point of view.

The first chapter feels slightly confusing until the worlds of Erminitrude and Mau converge on the island. From that point forward, Nation builds momentum by blending high-seas adventure with thoughtful contemplation. Overall, Pratchett offers an enchanting tale of self-discovery and triumph of the human spirit.

Laurie A. Gray
Reprinted from the Christian Library Journal (Vol. XIII, No. 1, April 2009); used with permission.

Nation
By Terry Pratchett
(Audiobook)
Read by Stephen Briggs

Story Title: 5/5
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Ending: 4/5

Synopsis:
Mau had been getting ready to trade his boy soul in for his man soul when a tsunami destroyed his home. Coming back to carnage instead of a warm greeting from his village, he finds death and destruction... and Daphne.
Daphne had been on a Schooner at sea when the tsunami hit, breaking her ship upon the island. Alone and afraid, she discovers Mau burying his dead, and, after one attempt at foolishness, decides he's not so bad, and that they must communicate.
Together, they forge a friendship that will take them from childhood to adulthood, and surpass prejudice to form a Nation.

Character Likability:
Mau: Possibly the most conflicted character in this story, Mau has to deal with having no soul, having no gods, drowning out the voices of the past, dealing with the voices of the present and figuring out how to make a future. By having his people washed away, he finds out more about them than he ever would have had life continued on as it always had. He's a pretty heavy character, and often has to take on serious endeavors.
Daphne: An incredibly likable girl, Daphne had been sick and tired of her role in society... so while at first she makes a hasty choice, she quickly realizes how wrong she was, and that now all the rules have changed.
Ataba: Foolishly holding on to the ways of the past, even though greater things are being uncovered all around him... rushing to keep those things hidden, even if it results in his death... he is an excellent example of what can happen when one closes ones eyes to the evidence around them and instead chooses to blindly follow what they have been told is right.
Other Characters: There are a plethora of interesting supporting characters in this story, all of whom are appropriately wicked, or appropriately pleasant. All of them are enjoyable.

Quality of Writing:
This work has been touted as some of Pratchett's finest... and while the topics are serious, often dark and much heavier than your normal Pratchett novel (honestly, Pratchett often plays with some heavy topics, but he manages to do it so humorously that you're able to laugh at the subject matter without being weighed down entirely by it... he often makes us laugh at ourselves before we know what we're doing) they are still interesting and the story flows smoothly.

Ending:
This one had a bittersweet but realistic ending.

Plot:
This plot deals with a lot of heavy issues. Religion, Individual vs. Society, Civilized vs. Barbaric, the transformation from Child to Adult and where exactly those boundaries lie... and who defines them. It plays with the concept of what actually makes a Nation, and with the ambiguity of defining things like that in the first place. The gods and adulthood are all very similar to the concept of 'Nation' in this novel, all of them being difficult to define. Daphne, herself, goes a long way to debunk a lot of the mysticism behind Mau's culture... when she works out that while there are traditions, like spitting in the beer and then singing the "beer song"... that really, the spit defuses the poison (the beer is poisonous unless it's spit in and sung to) and the song... well, it doesn't really matter which song you sing, so long as it's a specific length, ie, the length of time needed for the spit to react and de-poison the beer... there is a lot of that sort of thing in this book, and at the same time, there are magical elements that cannot be explained away through science. I don't think Pratchett was out to say religion is hokum and science can explain it all away, I think he was just pointing out that it's a wavering line and sometimes things that should be solvable with religion actually require science, and sometimes things that should require science really require some belief. Really, there is a lot to think about in this book, for those who care to really dive into what an author is trying to say... and for those who don't? It's still a really good, touching story about two people who have lost everything, only to find so much more.

Believability of World:
This is Pratchett's first non-Discworld novel since 1996... so a knowledge of his other works is not necessary. You can pick this one up and dive in, it is a stand-alone... and the world it exists in is an alternate version of ours, around the 1860's (It is mentioned that the Origin of Species was recently published)

Audio Quality:

Stephen Briggs does another fantastic job. This is the 3rd Pratchett book I've listened to as read by him, and they have all been amazing.

Overall Grade: B+

I'm not particularly into stories about colonialism or imperialism. Far, far too frequently one gets exactly the same stories, but the cast of characters is from some new locale more exotic than what came before. Usually there's a native population and some invaders from somewhere else with a huge feeling of entitlement attached to them with a choice of the following: the One Good Invader who helps the natives (or goes native) and sometimes succeeds at it (also called the white messiah depending on outcome); the Nasty Embodiment of Imperialism, which should be self explanatory; the Imperial Moderate, who wants to get business done in the most profitable way possible and isn't always a villain; the Plucky Native who functions as instructor for the One Good Invader and the Imperial Moderate and may or may not also serve as a romantic interest. I'm pretty sure one can watch any movie concerning imperialism or colonialism and find all these tropes.

That being said, Nation by Terry Pratchett managed to not use any of them. Indeed, as soon as I thought I was starting to see one of the archetypes come up, something would happen to turn it into something else much more fascinating.

Rather than starting with an island with natives on it, the main story starts with a tsunami wiping out most of the island's population, except for Mau. A great deal of detail ensues about his mourning for his people and being adrift in a place both familiar and strange to him (and to us, since it is a alternate universe story). He finds the sailing ship Sweet Judy and the only survivor of the wreck, Daphne (or Ermintrude), a white girl (or "trouserman" to use the book's terminology). More survivors follow, Mau becomes the de facto chief and a very existentially conflicted one at that. Daphne learns all the practical things that a woman of the Nation should know but a "lady" shouldn't.

The first part of the book is a really awesome look at Mau's grief and as more people arrive on the island, he moves past it more and more. Daphne's comes in little flashbacks set between busy spells, things that occurred long ago for her, but she never had the opportunity to move past them. Many of the side characters also illustrate other aspects of mourning.

It's a very interesting balance between relatively light prose and very serious material. This narrative style continues throughout the book and it lent reality and credence to the scenes focusing more on the metaphysical and the spiritual. The pacing of it flowed in little side eddies and currents, but always returned to the main flow of the story and added more to it.

Before you begin "So how is this different from the gobbledegook you were ranting about earlier? *harrumph*" Well, Daphne might have some of the aspects of the One Good Invader... but Mau has some of the same traits himself (such as hearing the voices of the ancestors). None of the characters are clearly cut as any of the stereotypes I mentioned. All of them second guess themselves and/or change their minds on more than one occasion. It results in a story about people more than ideology.

The story has a framing device that most of the royal family of England has been wiped out due to a virulent disease and they have to go find the next surviving fifth cousin twice removed (or something like that) and periodically it pops up to remind you that it's there. Such sidetracks were mercifully short and quite frequently funny in some fashion. Although it does come around to get the reader's attention at the end of the tale (which one would expect to go stereotypical). Yet the story flirts with the concept of colonialism instead... right before giving the tired overbearing cliche a wedgie. It was completely unexpected but happily so. I had a good laugh and a great swath of satisfaction upon finding it.

I'm actually rather embarrassed at how long Nation sat on my bookshelf without me picking it up. It was wonderful, sad, mystical and great. I keep thinking of more little details that I loved, like the mythology of the narrative and the wonderful attention to the characters' insecurities. I will simply say that I loved it.'

Nation (2008) is a standalone fantasy alternate history novel. It is set in mid nineteenth century and takes place on a small island within the Great Southern Pelagic Ocean.

In this novel, Mau is a boy in the Nation. He has been sent off by the whole population to Boys' Island to become a man. Equipped only with a knife, he has to build a canoe and return home.

Ermintrude is an English girl. She is sailing on the Sweet Judy to join her father at Port Mercia. Ermintrude greatly dislikes her name and would prefer to be called Daphne.

In this story, the Russian influenza has wiped out the King of England and 138 of his heirs. A ship is dispatched to find the new king and return him to England. It should meet the Sweet Judy along the way.

Mau has completed his canoe and is paddling home. Then a great tsunami comes and lifts the canoe high into the air. The violent motion knocks him unconscious.

Meanwhile, the Sweet Judy is sailing atop the great wave. Captain Roberts has lashed himself to the helm and is singing hymns praising the Lord. Roberts dimly sees an island straight ahead and is trying to steer between the hills when the ship comes down among the trees.

Mau paddles back to his home island and finds the whole populace gone. Trees have been knocked down and even the reef has been damaged. As he searches for his family, he notices that one branch is really an arm.

Mau goes into shock and carries all the bodies -- including two dogs -- to the lagoon for burial. He doesn't even notice the ghost girl who stands before him. Daphne leaves him to his task and returns to the remains of the Sweet Judy.

Mau hears the Grandfathers talking to him in loud voices, telling him to find the god stones and to perform the daily rituals. He doesn't see the god stones and doesn't know the rituals. Do they expect an untrained boy to do all these things? Apparently so.

The grandfathers tell Mau that he is the Nation. From him shall come a rebirth. He thinks that they are totally out of it.

Daphne finally gains the attention of Mau by leaving him fruit to eat. Mau has recovered enough to be hungry. The fruit bring on a raging hunger and he starts looking for more food.

Eventually Mau notices that the ghost girl is living in the remains of the big canoe. Daphne tries to prepare tea, but doesn't know how to cook and certainly doesn't have the proper ingredients. Mau almost gags on the scones and the tea upsets his stomach.

Then Daphne communicates the need to bury Captain Roberts and Mau drags the body to the lagoon. When he has prepared the body, Mau attaches a rock and wades out to the dropoff. As the captain's body falls into the depths, his cap floats up and Daphne reaches out for it.

She retrieves the cap, but steps off the edge and sinks into the sea. Mau is not about to lose another person, so he grabs a stone and steps off after her. They both pass the captain's body on the way down, but Mau finally reaches Daphne and begins hauling her up to the surface.

Mau hears more than the Grandfathers. While in the sea, he hears the god of death talking to him. Mau is very angry with the gods, but he listens to Locaha. He just doesn't do what he is told.

This tale shows the population growing as survivors follow Mau's smoke signal to the island. The new inhabitants bring new problems. But Mau remains the chief despite his young years. Gods and Grandfathers talk to him. Besides, he is intelligent and has the beginnings of wisdom.

This novel has many surprises as well as an eccentric view of life. Despite enemies and even friends, the Nation survives and even grows. Read and enjoy!

Highly recommended for Pratchett fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of southern isles, native customs, and a budding romance.

-Arthur W. Jordin

When i was a third of the way, i was thinking that this was another star performance by a great writer. After i had finished, there was a feeling of disappointment. I was remembering joints which were disjointed and connections that were disconnected, logic which suffered, continuity that did not continue. I battled myself on whether i should write a poor view or none at all.

For many months, i did not remember the book until i saw it in my library last night, and i suddenly realized that i was looking very fondly at it, just the way i used to look at some of my favorite books when i was much younger.

I now know that "Nation" brought back out the young teen in me, both while reading it and afterwards.

The reason i found all those faults with the book after reading it was that i was upset with the unfulfillment of my childish expectations in one area. I kept on waiting for the kind of 'happy ever after' ending and i found an adult one rather than the childish one i wanted. So, i threw a tantrum.

The book has everything that this child desired until then. It has great storms, a young boy you love to identify with or a young girl, good guys, bad guys, fights, gods, ancestors, pirates, cannibals, crabs, lots of bird plumage, disgusting/yucky scenes, emotionally loaded scenes, some funny scenes and quips (although a Terry pratchett fan should not expect anything like in a disc world novel), and nature in all its glory. And, most importantly, the feeling of "it will all end beautifully", that expectation of success of our hero, the child's belief that life is definitely full of good things to occur in the future"

Unfortunately, Mr. Pratchett said, "I gave you what you wanted so far, but now i have to tell you what the real world and real life are about." It is not that real life is bad, but be prepared not to have all your dreams answered.

I hope all the children in and around you will enjoy this book.

I started this book with a bit of trepidation as it's not set in Discworld and is not Pratchett's usual fare. But I absolutely loved it. It may be classified as a young adult book, but don't let that put you off - there's plenty of great stuff in here. As in all his books, Pratchett presents a fun story with undertones of political/social/religious commentary that really make the reader think. In this book we get a taste of a more philosophical Pratchett, but the humor is there, albeit a bit more subtle than what Discworld fans are used to. I would also HIGHLY recommend the audiobook version read by Stephen Briggs. I read Nation once and have listened to it twice and have loved it every time. RIP Sir Terry, you are sorely missed.

It's been a long time since I read (listened to) a young adult novel that inspired me to write a review of any kind, especially a positive one. This is a book I will likely read again, and probably aloud to and with my children. I think what I like most about it is the combination in both main characters of determination and inquisitiveness. Unlike so many 'heroes' and 'heroines' in young adult fiction I've read recently, these two approach every new difficulty with curiosity and willingness to learn, yet with a clarity of mind and a determination that things be right that is really refreshing. It is not because the story avoids hard questions either, or that the characters are not faced with overwhelming difficulties. It's just that they have what the British call pluck and we Americans used to call grit (I don't know if modern Americans understand that word any more). Not endlessly questioning themselves or feeling sorry for themselves, yet at the same time _able_ to question everything, and seek and accept hard answers. True, maybe they are not average teenagers; maybe your average teenager is either too ridden with self-doubt or pity or else too arrogant and hubric, and maybe there is a market for those sorts of self-absorbed, navel-gazing heroes, and their counterparts the glib acrobatic superheroes who just happen to be expert world saviors. But that's why people like Mau and Daphne are worth having stories about - they're normal without being weak, and people you would like knowing. (No, hubric might not be a real word yet, but you know what it means, and I can't immediately think of a better one.)

If you appreciated the not-overbearing philosophical reasoning of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials, you will likely enjoy this examination of belief and its roles in society. Also inspiring is the national pride of the 'savages' who in this alternate universe are fortunate enough to find their voice and their prerogative before the arrival of the white conquerors and their silly flag and very serious bayonets.

For the Harper Audio edition, while it did seem a little incongruous at first hearing what I assumed were South Pacific islanders voiced in the same British accent as the 'trousermen' sailors, it wasn't distracting for long, and then I realized the entire story is set in an alternate universe in which the natives of the Greater Pelagic Ocean could have whatever accent the reader deems appropriate, and Stephen Briggs is an excellent choice for this story in all other ways.

When much is taken, something is returned. That is the theme of Nation, a stunningly beautiful, thought-provoking and at times heart-breaking new novel by Terry Pratchett. This is not a Discworld novel. It is the tale of Mau, a boy just about to undergo his coming of age ritual on a small island in the Great Pelagic Ocean when a tidal wave destroys everything and everyone around him. But when so much is taken, something is given in return and, in this case, the tidal wave also strands the Sweet Judy, a ship of the British Empire, and its one surviving occupant, a young woman who answers to the name of Daphne.

As Mau and Daphne struggle to rebuild some semblance of a life and a community and understanding between two very different cultures, Pratchett has the opportunity to explore the meaning of family, cultural belonging, responsibility, what it means to be civilized, and the role of religion in explaining and coping with tragedy. It is with the interplay between the civilized scientific Daphne, and the heathen superstitious Mau that Pratchett manages to create the most tension. He does this without ever coming across as pedantic or dogmatic, but instead allows the questions that are left when your entire framework for understanding is shattered to drive the plot forward. Since this is a Pratchett novel, it's done with humor and a light touch. Minor characters include a foul-mouthed evangelical parrot, a tree-climbing octopus, cannibals with a very strict code of conduct, a ship's cook who built his own coffin in the galley, and the toothless Mrs. Gurgle, of whom it is wise to always be upwind.

Nation is an alternative history set in a Victorian time period (on a different set of South Pacific islands than would be found on our maps). Pratchett is toying with the idea of quantum universes -- the idea that every choice creates two different universes, one where the first option is chosen, and another in which a different course may have occurred.

Nation is appropriate for YA readers, but would appeal to all readers who like thoughtful fantasy. It must be said that this is not traditional fantasy. There are no elves, magic, or vampires. Rather, it's a fantastical novel, where the gods are real and communicate with humans. (Or maybe they don't, and we just think they do.)

Terry Pratchett writes with a deft grace that somehow manages to create real, breathing characters who you feel for as they struggle to deal with the tragedy that has completely destroyed their world. In a few lines of prose he manages to make people spring full-fledged from the page like Athena from the forehead of Zeus. He perfectly balances characterization and world building, creating a rich, fully imagined world that resonates with color and sound. The ending was bittersweet perfection, not shying away from the issues that Pratchett had been dealing with, but instead realistically balancing the demands of the heart with the demands of personal responsibility. I cannot recommend Nation highly enough.

Gold Star Award Winner!

Mau is away from his small island when a giant wave destroys his village, leaving him alone - and unable to complete the ceremony that would have given him his man's soul. It takes all his strength just to carry on, with the voices of his ancestors haunting him.

Daphne finds herself the lone survivor when the ship she was traveling on crashes into Mau's island on the same wave. With little to guide her but her grandmother's training for high society, she isn't sure whether to approach Mau as a potential friend or foe.

As other survivors gather on the island, Mau and Daphne form a bond and work to create a society that's all their own. Mau begins to believe in himself despite his fear that he lacks a soul. Daphne realizes there are far more important things than propriety.

But when all they've gained is threatened by an outside enemy, will their makeshift community be able to hold steady?

NATION has everything you could ask for in a novel. Its dramatic scenes are both poignant and moving, with Pratchettt's customary humor keeping the proceedings from straying into melodrama. Both main characters are distinctive, and it's a pleasure watching them come into their own throughout the story. The villains are suitably creepy and brutal. Little details of the setting and cultures make it all feel so real.

Highly recommended to both teens and adults.

Reviewed by: Lynn Crow

As a matter of fact, it's not a Discworld book at all.
The characters go so far as to point out that it's actually a ROUND world, and basically an alternate version of ours. So no, there's no Vimes or Granny or our other beloved favorites. They belong to the disc, and they will be there for us again.

What this does is take some incredibly strong teenagers and subject them to some of the worst things imaginable. It's a story about grief, and coping with grief, and keeping on going - no matter what. I imagine that survivors of the recent tsunamis would feel a sense of recognition, but ANYONE who has gone through grief and come out the other side not recognizing what could possibly make life worth living would benefit from this book, simply as catharsis.

I did no research about this book before I picked it up, and since it came from the YA shelf I was shocked at how dark it was, almost from the very first page. But this is Terry Pratchett, and I had faith in him, and as I read the book I understood what it was, and what it was about.

And it has earned a special place on my shelf, not only among my books but among my Pterry books, because it is that special.

Since this is a young adult novel I am definitely not the target audience for this book, however a good Young Adult novel will usually transcend ages and can be enjoyed by a much older audience.
I've tried reading Terry Pratchett's The Colour of Magic and couldn't get into it. I had the same problem with Nation. Seemingly, it has all of the qualities I would like in a novel, but is filled with too little action and too much spiritual fluff. I must mention that I was only about to get through 2/3 of the book (struggling with it over the course of two months). Looking at the overwhelming positive reviews here, I figured I must be missing something and did my best to finish it.

Nation is not necessarily an adventure story. Other than the first few pages, nothing really happens until the very end of the book (from what I could tell by skimming over the last 50 pages). The conversations Mau has with his Grandfathers confused me and bored me to tears. I kept hoping something would happen, but around page 200 when the other protagonist, Daphne, enters some kind of weird "Dream World" and starts speaking to spirits, I had to give up on it.

I'm not saying this is a bad book, and it's fairly well-written, but the plot didn't appeal to me at all, and it is completely forgettable to me. I know this book has been extremely well reviewed and won awards, which is why I hate to give it a bad review. I just wish "something" had happened to hold my interest.

Coming back in his canoe from the Boys' Island, ready for his coming-of-age ritual, young Mau is hit by a huge wave. Stunned and a little disoriented, he finally arrives, only to find his home devastated, his family and friends dead.

There's also a long trench in the forest and at the end of it, the wreck of the Sweet Judy and a strange girl who tries to shoot him. But soon this little misunderstanding is over, and they start communicating.

Together they'll help the refugees arriving from nearby islands and start rebuilding a civilization, explore the lagoon and the Grandfathers' Cave and find ancient statues and hidden treasures, defend their Nation against the Raiders.

Even though Nation is not as witty and funny as the usual Pratchett novel, I really enjoyed seeing Mau and Daphne's relationship become deeper, and found their discovery expeditions very exciting. Daphne reminded me much of Terry Pratchett's other teenage heroin, Tiffany Aching. The novel itself is also full of philosophy in disguise, which makes it instructing to boot, although it contained slightly too much religion to my liking.

After several decades of building the Disc, Terry Pratchett now returns to our own world -- albeit in the form of an alternate history version of our world.

"Nation" tells the intersecting stories of Mau and Daphne and the intersecting stories of their worlds.

Mau is the oldest boy of the Nation, an island state in what we would call the south Pacific. But not for much longer, for today he is on the way back from the ritualistic trip by which he will become the Nation's youngest warrior. He has spent five days on the island were men are made, has learned the secret, built his canoe and soon he will rejoin his parents and be one of the men.

Daphne is the daughter of a British aristocrat who has recently been made governor of the South Pacific region, responsible for expanding the Empire on the far side of the world. And she has been traveling for several weeks to join her father.

But tonight the world itself has turned to madness and walls of water are devastating everything in their path. And now everything has changed. Daphne has been swept away from the protection of her empire and all she has known. She is more alone than anybody in the world -- except Mau, for whom the waters have literally destroyed the entire world. So now both have nobody but the other. And now they must both learn to understand each other and trust each other in order to survive. Together they must help the needy, protect the helpless, learn the truth behind the oldest secrets and defend their land.

And they have no choice but to do this, because as of now, they are... The Nation.

"Nation" is a story unlike any other Pratchett has ever written before and much unlike practically any story ever told before. Told as only a master storyteller can, Terry Pratchett weaves together the fates of two people and two nations as he reinvents the history of our world. "Nation" tells the mighty story of the rise and fall of empires and the intensely personal stories of loss and tragedy and how two young people together can find the courage to rebuild the world around them, then weaves them together in a book that will grip you and not let go until you reach the last page.

For those of you who read "Nation" because you are fans of Terry Pratchett's Discworld, you will find "Nation" a completely different book that any Pratchett you have read before. But it is extremely worthwhile -- possibly even the best Pratchett has ever produced.

This is a great story, though a little different from other Terry Pratchett stories.

It is a story about the clash of cultures, pointing out inconsistencies in them, as usual. But the zany throwaway humor is not there; every joke seems to have a point. You hope like mad that the protagonists get it together, and in my case that I could kidnap one of them and take them away where I could make them happy!

Well, despite the soft-pedaling of the humor (described as "side-splitting" by some reviewers of Wintersmith (Discworld)), this is a better-written book than most of Terry Pratchett's, and that's saying a lot. There are flaws, certainly, but very, very few. (I heard on the grapevine that this was a relatively early work that was dusted off because the publishers felt that Sir Terry ought to get as many books off his chest as he could in the time he had.)

Go ahead; buy multiple copies of this one, and give it to all your friends!

Arch

As Mau makes the physical and spiritual journey from boyhood to manhood, a wave destroys his island home. As Ermintrude travels from the Nation to her father's posting in the tropics, that same wave carries her onto a "savage" island.

Stories of first encounters between civilizations are nothing new, but under Terry Pratchett's deft touch, this story gives us new depths of emotion and conflict. Mau literally crafts himself a new soul and Ermintrude renames herself Daphne and shapes herself to fit the name. Together they have to figure out how to cobble together a life on an island after a tsunami destroys nearly everything they took for granted. Both science and spirituality are given "screen time" in the story, and it walks a nice line, dropping into neither the "noble savage" trope nor the "white superiority" trope.

Add in cannibals, pirates, foul-mouthed parrots, duty, beer-making, and the early blossoming of attraction and first love, and you have a wonderful coming-of-age story for both Daphne and Mau.

This is a well-crafted Pratchett book - both making you think and making you laugh. The story - of a shipwrecked English girl and a island boy on the cusp of manhood - is thoughtful and gentle. The plot is fast enough to keep things moving, the characters are alive and compelling, the world and alternate history lush, and the moral issues they wrestle with are compelling.

And perhaps most importantly, they're not resolved.

What about God, or the God(s)? What role does tradition have when civilization is ruined? Pratchett explores these through his characters, but there is no preachiness. They don't get easy answers at any point, and neither do we. What we do get, and skillfully so, is a chance to think about it. We get to see other people wrestling honestly with the most difficult questions of our lives. We may not agree with them - and that's okay. They don't exactly agree with each other, either. And that - along with Pratchett's signature humor - is what makes Nation a compelling read.

And while Pratchett has written several YA Discworld books (the Tiffany Aching series and a few others), he has also branched out into new stories with universes of their own.

Mau is leaving the Boys' Island. He has left his child soul behind and upon his triumphant return to the Nation, his small island home, he will receive his man soul.

Daphne (her real name Ermintrude but it's not one she'll admit to it if she has to) is journeying on the Sweet Judy to unite with her father, her grandmother's words, "Always remember, that it only needs one hundred and thirty-eight people to die and your father will be King! And that means that, one day, you might be Queen!" echoing in her mind.

In a single night, Daphne and Mau's worlds are utterly shattered. With only crude pictograms as a common language, these two children must survive on a storm swept island with an ancient mystery buried at its heart.

Pratchett's characteristic humor (and footnotes "of an educational nature"), while present, has stepped to one side to make room for an additional thoughtfulness about what it means to come of age and what makes up both a person and a society.

An avid Pratchett fan myself, I was heartbroken when I was interrupted with only 10 pages left to read. Pratchett has once again created a compelling, driving story that entertains, educates and pokes fun at anything and everything in its path.

When I was pursuing my degree in English, I had to read a ton of novels, obviously. Throughout time, the concept of individuals stranded on an island has been a popular one. From Robinson Crusoe to Lord of the Flies. From Treasure Island to TV's Lost. Obviously, there's something mysterious, romantic and desperate enough here to be explored through centuries of literature.

Meanwhile, Terry Pratchett has made a name for himself for crafting an amazingly satiric world called Discworld and while this is the series he's most known for, whenever he branches out into other stories, he does so very well. And so, we have Nation, a book about a boy named Mau who, on his return journey home towards becoming a man, encounters a terrifying wave that destroys everything and everyone he knew and loved. It also left him in the middle of a transformation; not a boy, not yet a man, as Britney Spears might sing...if she were a man.

Then, we have Ermintrude/Daphne, distantly related to The Royal Family, who is on a ship that is also capsized by the same wave. They both inadvertently end up on an island, what used to be Mau's home, and have to form an alliance to survive.

So, that's the story in a nutshell and without spoiling anything that happens as it progresses. It's pretty standard fare, honestly, and, from a story perspective, nothing you haven't seen before. However, like all of Pratchett's novels, a standard story is grounded in strong characters with...well, a lot of character. Pratchett crafts interesting characters that feel like real people, and his wit and touch is completely evident throughout the novel. His presentation of the topic is what helps lift this familiar story to new heights, while asking small, but probing questions all the way.

On one hand, a stirring survival-against-the-odds story; on the other, a coming of age story; on a third, if one were so equipped, a story about disparate people coming together and forging a new nation, Nation is an interesting, if sometime meandering, look at a history that could have been. Very much recommended.

Terry Pratchet has synthesized his strong socio-political work from the Discworld series into an amalgam of thought. The story of Mau is really the story of humanity as it emerges from the dark of superstition, fear and brutality. It is a tale in which the discovered place in our universe is revealed as neither too small or overly large, but just right. A great book for middle schoolers to read and discuss. Mau and his counterpart Daphne (Ermintrude) interact charmingly as each struggles with the preconceived notions they have been bred to believe.

My one complaint is that a portion of the work seems to rely on critical events which occur outside the story and seem to be introduced as a convenient plot device. Nevermind that the reader can adequately adapt and digest this turn of events, it interrupts hte flow of the work and causes some confusion. Nonetheless, the work is a fantastic read.

Magic realism collides with both suspense and hilarity as Pratchett tells the coming-of-age story of both a Polynesian (sorta) boy and an English girl in an alternative universe. What appears to be the end of the world is really the beginning, those who appear civilized are not, in a story full of inversions and irony. The characters appeal to one's soul, while the jokes appeal to one's funny bone.

I had previously read one of Pratchett's Discworld books, which I found confusing to the extreme, so I'd avoided this author for a while. Happily, I picked up NATION. Once I did, it was a struggle to put it down! The only thing I didn't like about the story was the end, which didn't seem to match the rest of the book in content or tone.

Highly recommended for readers 12 and up.

Pratchett's books for young people have a tendency to reach beyond the intended age group and are just as enjoyable and relevant for adults. His latest novel, "Nation", is no exception. Anybody who has read his Tiffany Aching books will also know that Pratchett also has a fondness for headstrong young girls, delighting in exemplifying how they grow more or less smoothly into maturity. In this delightful novel Daphne, or Ermintrude as she was named by her family, is another example. Just for the pleasure of meeting her, the book would be worth reading... but there is so much more to explore here.

Thirteen-year-old Daphne is pretty, smart and well-educated, and loved by her aristocratic father. After the death of her mother, she was brought up by her strict grandmother, who instils in her a sense of values and responsibility but also, unintentionally, inquisitiveness and independence of mind. She is the counter part to Mau, also thirteen, and the actual hero of the story. His Nation, a small island in the South Pelagic Ocean is a traditional, pre-industrial society where gods reign and the spirits of the grandfathers maintain the ritualistic order by communicating their instructions to the selected few. While on "Boy's island", where he had been preparing for the rites of passage into manhood ceremony, Mau was oblivious to the tsunami of unheard of proportion that swept over lands and islands. The village had assembled on the beach for his return and celebration when the wave swept them away, leaving a trail of destruction. He reaches Nation in the aftermath of the disaster and discovers that he is all alone. Well, not quite... The ship that was to bring Daphne to her father in Port Mercia stranded on Mau's island leaving her with only a talkative parrot for company.

The story follows the two young people from worlds apart - without a common language and even gestures - who have to overcome their mutual suspicion and distrust and grow individually and together to become the centre of a new community as survivors from surrounding islands and from further afield seeking refuge with them. With great sensitivity and imagination, Pratchett explores the coming of age process in both. He exquisitely tackles the conflicts in Mau's mind between his old society steeped in mythology and hierarchy and the new reality where beliefs and rituals have to be questioned and new codes of morality be established. Daphne also has to develop a new understanding of society where class and privilege have no meaning. There are any number of challenges the young people have to face, starting with finding food and milk for a baby. There are pirates and renegades to deal with and much more... Can they, together with the diverse collections of refugees build a better and more hopeful Nation?

Pratchett's style is as always fluid and smooth, his imagery perceptive and innovative. His sense of humour, mostly subtle, shines through many sections. There are a few slow sections that a young person might skim over searching for the action on the next page. For adults the novel has many layers of narrative, food for thought on our perceptions of cultures, traditions and communication. [Friederike Knabe]

Pratchett built his considerable reputation on his first "Discworld" novels, which were subversively funny and had a certain Monty-Python-ish flavor. He's still writing them, of course, and there are about thirty-five of those books now, including a couple of self-contained sub-series. But a strange thing happened in the process: The more recent episodes, while still droll and witty and a great deal of fun in a style Pratchett has made his own, have also become far more serious in what the author has to say to his readers. Pratchett is one of the most humane (and humanist) writers of our time, an immensely kindly soul with a razor tongue when it comes to coercive politics and religion, and he wraps his carefully worked-out opinions in narratives and plotlines that are both simple and straightforward on the surface and quite complex in their depths. This latest parable/novel is being marketed as a YA book -- but, like all the best young adult books, it should be read by thoughtful adults, too. The "nation" of the title is a small island in the South Seas, which to Mau, a boy on the cusp of becoming a man, is the whole world. The time is the 19th century -- but not quite our 19th century. There's a king, for one thing, instead of a queen. Or, at least, there was a king, until a plague hit England and wiped out the 138 people necessary to move a comparative nonentity of a colonial governor up the line to become the next monarch. His daughter, Daphne (as she thinks of herself, because her real name is Ermintrude), is on a ship going to join her father at Port Mercia when an enormous tsunami picks up the ship and tosses it into the jungle on Mau's island. She's the only survivor. Meanwhile, all the people of the Nation were down on the beach, waiting to celebrate Mau's return from the Island of Boys, and all of them are killed by the same wave. Now, Mau *is* the Nation. And his linking up with Daphne is about the only thing that keeps both of them sane. Then other dazed survivors begin to drift in from other drowned islands and Mau suddenly finds himself carrying a great deal of responsibility. But the most important thing to him is getting answers. Why did the gods do this to them? Intoning "the gods are mysterious," he realizes, is just an adult way of shrugging and saying, "Just because." And what will he do when the other Europeans -- the other trousermen -- come to rescue Daphne? After reading (and, for the earlier ones, rereading) each of Pratchett's books over the past few years, I have my own question: Why isn't he on the annual Honours List for a knighthood?

Terry Pratchett's talent definitely isn't limited to his satirical Discworld; along with the 'Bromeliad' trilogy and 'Johnny' series, he shows us little worlds within the so-called "real world". But unlike many authors, who get caught in that part of the endeavor like spiders in their own web, he then shows us how those little worlds open up onto reality at large. In 'Nation' once again he takes something little, fills it with life & detail until the reader practically lives there, and then folds it open...and in doing so, makes us unfold our brains in new ways.

I was fortunate enough to discover Terry Pratchett's books about young witch-in-training Tiffany Aching a few years back. Since then, I've been recommending these titles --- and the rest of his stellar Discworld novels --- to friends and family, young and old alike. Pratchett is sometimes dismissed as only a humorist, an author of light fantasy that, while offering plenty of comedic social satire, doesn't have much backbone. I would beg to differ with that characterization of the Discworld series, which has as much heart as it does humor.

But, with the publication of NATION, a stand-alone novel that is not part of the Discworld oeuvre, Pratchett should silence those criticisms once and for all. NATION is at once adventurous and contemplative, playful and philosophical, and it should appeal to long-time devotees of the author and new fans alike.

NATION is not set in Discworld but rather in a world that bears a great deal of resemblance to our own in the mid-19th century. There are a few differences in history and geography, but cultural issues such as scientific investigation, the rights of women, and the role and responsibility of the monarchy and religion will certainly be familiar to any student of the Victorian period, even if Pratchett takes some delightful liberties with the historical record.

Ermintrude is the teenage daughter of the Governor of Port Mercia, who had been 139th in line for the throne of England. That is, until a bout of influenza wipes out everyone between him and the throne. The only problem? The presumptive king is thousands of miles away, governing one of the dozens of tiny tropical islands that dot the Southern Pelagic Ocean and contribute to the nation's extensive empire. His daughter is also at sea, on a ship called the Sweet Judy with an unscrupulous crew, eager to join her father. Neither one of them has any idea of the myriad ways in which their fortunes are about to change.

Ermintrude's fortune changes dramatically indeed, when a killer tsunami runs the Sweet Judy aground on a tiny island. Ermintrude is the only survivor of the shipwreck and, as she soon discovers, is one of only two people left alive on the devastated island. The other is Mau, a teenage boy who was in the process of successfully passing his manhood ceremony when the tsunami destroyed his entire Nation. Now Mau is confused about his place in the world. If he has left his boy's soul behind but not yet been given a man's soul, does that make him a human? A demon? Or something else entirely?

Mau and Ermintrude (who quickly takes this opportunity to rename herself Daphne instead of her given name, which she has always hated) don't have too much time to consider these philosophical details. There are hundreds of dead to be buried at sea, shelters to be made, fires to be built, new languages and customs to be learned, and, soon, as dozens of desperate refugees from other islands arrive at the Nation seeking support, other people's problems to which to attend.

Daphne, who has lived her whole life under the thumb of her martinet grandmother, soon discovers she has a passion for doctoring, a talent for making beer, and an appreciation for walking around in the tropical climate in just her petticoat and pantaloons. Mau, who continues to question his soul's worth and his own place in a warlike culture, grows into a capable, confident and kind chief of this new Nation. Together, Daphne and Mau develop a new civilization --- and learn truths about Mau's people's history that may change views of science, culture and religion forever.

NATION may be more philosophically dense and less broadly comic than most of Pratchett's Discworld novels. There's plenty of adventure to be had, though --- with shipwrecks, cannibals, murders and even a hidden sacred burial ground. While certainly appealing to his legions of existing devotees, NATION should help broaden his fan base significantly. It raises some of the most fundamental moral and ethical questions that humans have always struggled with, and then turns them on their head in ways surprising, thought provoking and, finally, eminently satisfying.

--- Reviewed by Norah Piehl

Terry Pratchett had been talking about a book called Nation he'd really wanted to write for almost half a decade when he was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's. According to rumour, he'd already begun working on the next Tiffany Aching Discworld novel, I Shall Wear Midnight, but upon hearing the news he dropped it immediately to make sure Nation was written first.

Nation is not a Discworld novel, but is instead set in an alternate history very similar to our own late 19th Century when the British Empire was at its height. A tidal wave sweeps across the Great Southern Pelargic Ocean (the South Pacific) and wipes out the tribal civilisation of the Mothering Sunday Islands. In particular, the island simply known as the Nation is totally destroyed, apart from a single young man named Mau. Mau finds himself alone on his island, until he discovers the crashed remains of a foreign ship and a pale-skinned young woman who initially tries to kill him, but later invites him to tea. Soon refugees from the crisis gather on the island, and Mau realises he has the choice to rebuild the old world, or choose to do something new with his nation...

Nation is Pratchett's most serious book since his 1992 classic, Small Gods. In fact, it shares some similarities with that book and acts as another treatise on faith, religion, atheism and morality. It is slower and more thoughtful than that earlier novel, where a younger and more angry Pratchett was in full-on fiery condemnation of blind fundamentalism, but works well due to those contrasts. It isn't as funny as a typical Pratchett book, although there are a few chuckles to be found here and there, particularly what appears to be a clever inverting of one of the premises of the TV show Lost in the final chapter and epilogue. However, it is also a more spiritual book, which is interesting given Pratchett gives New Age ideas pretty short shrift in his other books. But here things happen that can't be easily explained away by science, and it's debatable whether this is Pratchett perhaps considering things in a different light or simply a facet of this world which is different to our own (and is quite reminiscent of the gods in Discworld who exist purely because people believe in them, not the other way around).

Nation is being marketed as a YA novel, but it really isn't. It's depiction of tragedy and death in the opening chapters is pretty unflinching, and occasional moments of blood and cruelty abound throughout its length. Also, the central themes are pretty weighty and not something I see young children really getting into. However, for the adult reader Nation is an interesting and thought-provoking read which raises many interesting ideas and questions, whilst remaining entertaining and well-characterised.

Nation (****) is available in the UK from Doubleday and, with a spectacularly awful cover, in the USA from HaperCollins.

I am not sure what I expected from Terry Pratchett but I will say this was not it. I have read several of his other works and it is almost always esoteric in nature. This novel, although engaging, was definitely not esoteric. The action took place in a logical and believable manner. There was not any magic or supernatural action in the sense that you would normally expect from an author like Terry Patchett.

This book is designed for kids and the primary characters are children. With that being said it is not written down to children rather it is written to engage children. Very nicely done. To put another way this is a story that sounds like it was narrated by a child realistically rather then an adult posing as a child.

A story about a pair of youngsters who both lose the comfort and security of all they know. One loses his land, people and history. Another loses the security of comfort and anyone who is the same. These two children come together and unwillingly and willingly challenge each other and together change and adapt into different and larger personalities and characters then they ever would have otherwise.

The Positive:
1. Very nicely paced.
2. Characters that I came to care about quickly. Some of the characters are not mentioned often but Terry does an excellent job of making them believable and engaging.
3. A circumstance and tragedy that is both compelling and poignant.
4. Very nicely written.

The Cons:
1. Plot and situation are a bit devastating. Along with a few sequences of action this might be a bit too violent or disturbing for the very youngest readers. I think the target audience must be Junior High or High School and for that audience it is just fine.
2. I found myself really curios about the subplot in the book and wished a bit more time was spent on that.

Over all I think the author did a fine job of balancing action, emotion and the fact that this book is geared towards a younger audience. This is a book I plan on keeping on hand to share with my oldest in a few years.

Nation is a 2008 young adult novel by Terry Pratchett, his first non-Discworld novel in over ten years. In a 19th century parallel universe, a tsunami devastates a chain of tropical islands in the equivalent of the Pacific Ocean. Mau, a boy who has just completed his coming-of-age ritual, returns home and finds he may be the only survivor of his tribe. Meanwhile, England has been ravaged by plague, and an expedition is sent to recover the new king. But his daughter Daphne, the heir to the throne, has been shipwrecked on Mau's island. Together, they must care for the refugees and fend off invaders.

Pratchett has dialed the silliness back quite a bit in his writing for Nation, although it comes out every now and again, and in those cases the reader feels that he simply couldn't help himself. His humor is present almost constantly, though, and it gives the novel a lightness that helps keep it from being dragged down by Mau's dark moods and the story's serious subject matter.

Nation is billed and marketed as a young adult novel, primarily because Pratchett's main characters are young adults. It also has, from time to time, some overly simple storytelling (the ending is satisfying but pretty unrealistic in a too-good-to-be-true sort of way). Even so, Nation hardly ever feels like a kids' book.

Nation deals quite seriously with themes of life and death and faith and tradition. Also noteworthy is the double-barreled shotgun blast Pratchett gives to white imperialism and the white-centered mindset. This feels like the axe Pratchett originally set out to grind. While that message was well handled, other opportunities were missed. The first half or so of the book explores this age-old question: If God exists, why does he allow bad things to happen? Mau is given afflictions of Job-like severity, and because of them, suffers an un-Job-like crisis of faith and is ready to embrace atheism. This is a storyline pregnant with possibility. Unfortunately, Pratchett allows it to go by the wayside in the latter parts of the novel, and the novel's conclusions on the matter are very unsatisfactory.

By and large, Pratchett's writing is solid and entertaining. Nation does occasionally suffer from flow problems, though, and typically Pratchett's solution for this is to have new characters arrive on the scene each time the old characters run out of things to do. Pratchett also has particular difficulty juggling the languages. Daphne speaks English. Mau speaks his native language, rendered here in English. This creates problems when Pratchett describes them teaching their languages to one another. It also creates moments where it feels like everyone conveniently speaks both.

While not Pratchett's best work, Nation is a solid and thought-provoking novel for adults and young adults.

Mau has just visited the Boy's Island when a huge wave rolls through, destroying that island and killing everyone who was a part of the Nation--his home. Mau washes up to discover dead bodies, ruined homes, and angry ghosts who demand that he carry on the nation's traditions.

Mau's first task is to return the bodies of his people to the sea--where their souls can become dolphins. By the time he's done with that, he's ready to commit his own body to the sea. One person--caught between boy and man--is simply a person alone. When he saves the ghost girl who washed up on the island, though, he realizes he must continue. One person is just a person but two people, a nation.

Mau and Daphne (the ghost girl is an English girl who is the only survivor of an English ship carried halfway into the island) work together--and are soon joined by survivors from other islands. Although Mau is the youngest man, his presence and the fact that he is the sole survivor of the Nation's original population, puts him in position to be chief. This also means added responsibility--both for the increasing population and for the old ghosts. When rumors arrive that canibalistic raiders are approaching, Mau's responsibilities grow even more.

Author Terry Pratchett creates an unusual fantasy set in a world very similar to our own, but with some key differences (obviously including the ghosts of the old men who talk to Mau). The semi-romance between Mau and Daphne is charming and the adventure well designed and plausible.

NATION is a thoughtful and thought-provoking story. Mau and Daphne deal with learning about others, with responsibility to themselves and their people, with loss, and with their own coming of age in a time and world when the old rules seem both doubly important and completely impractical. Pratchett fans should not expect the laugh-out-loud funny that they find in some of his stories, but if you're looking for a story that makes you think, as well as a solid adventure, NATION definitely delivers.

"Nation" strikes a great balance between humor and seriousness. The plot involves two young teenagers being stranded on an island. The plot might sound trite, but the book heads in a much different direction that most novels about people stuck on islands.

I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the characters and felt like I was able to get to know them. My favorite books are ones that involve likeable characters. Aside from the "bad guys," I liked all the characters. Pratchett stayed cleared of the normal clichés. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself liking characters who, when first introduced, I thought I would dislike.

Subtle humor underlies "Nation." I found myself laughing out loud at some of the wording Pratchett chose.

One of the main themes of this book is the idea of questioning the beliefs that one has grown up with. It's refreshing to read a novel where the characters think for themselves and rationalize their beliefs.

Do not let the "young adult" designation scare you away from this book. This book is appropriate for people of all ages and might be a fun book to read to young kids.

YA Alternate History/Audio Book

I had never read anything by Terry Pratchett so when I saw Nation in the YA audio book section at my library I checked it out. Here is what it says on the back.

"Thirteen-year-old Mau is the only one left after a giant wave sweeps his island village away. But when much is taken, something is returned and somewhere in the jungle, Daphne - a girl from the other side of the globe - is the sole survivor of a ship destroyed by the same wave.

Together, the two confront the aftermath of catastrophe. And slowly, other refugees arrive - children without parents, mothers without babies, husbands without wives- all of them hungry and all of them frightened. As Mau and Daphne struggle to keep the small band safe and fed, they defy ancestral spirits, challenge death himself, and uncover a long-hidden secret that literally turns the world upside down."

It sound kind of grim but it is anything but. Terry Pratchett has a great way with words and uses that to produce dialog that left me chuckling throughout the book. Mau and Daphne are great characters. They complement each other even as they bicker. The secondary characters are well-developed and add depth to the story. While survival and rebuilding is the main theme of the story there is a secondary story line that involves the outside world. This is not part of a series so when the book was over Mau and Daphne's story ended. I had become so invested in both that it was with a great deal of sadness that I told them good-by.

Harper Audio produced Nation by Terry Pratchett in 2008.

(Confession: This is the first book by Terry Pratchett that I've ever read!)

I love me some post-apocalyptic fiction. So I liked this book. It is extremely well-written. Actually, maybe it's a little too well-written because I felt Mau's desperation so vividly that every time I got a few minutes to read, I hesitated picking the book up. I didn't always feel like being completely and utterly transported to that world.

But I think what always kept me coming back is the humor. Not laugh-out-loud funny, but a-quiet-chuckle-and-sometimes-a-groan funny.

Here, some survivors from another island are trying to explain horses to Mau, who's never seen them before:

"...And the horses! Oh, everyone should see the horses!"

"What are horses?" [said Mau.]

"Well, they're...well, you know hogs?" said Pilu.

"Better than you can imagine."

"...Well, they are not like hogs. But if you took a hog and made it bigger and longer, with a longer nose and a tail, that's a horse. Oh, and much more handsome. And much longer legs."

"So a horse is not really like a pig at all?"

"Well, yes, I suppose so. But it's got the same number of legs."

I have just finished listening to an audio publication of Nation and am completely blown away! It is a truly wonderful story for young adults, but also has a great deal to offer those of us who are, well, older. As always, Mr. Pratchett deals with huge and important topics with humor and sensitivity. This is a story about two young people on a tropical island at the end of the world, who have lost everything and together create meaning out of the void left behind... it is about overcoming fear... about the part religion and belief play in people's lives and so very much more. The characters are real and compelling, stepping off the pages to speak directly to the reader. It is an amazing story and I highly recommend it to adults of any age.

Terry Pratchett is best known for his Discworld novels, ranging from the Colour of Magic to Making Money. Within that canon, Pratchett has written a few novels explicitly labeled for young adults (starting with the Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents).

In Nation, though, Pratchett turns away from Discworld and starts a sui generis YA novel set on a world very much like, but subtly different, than our own 19th century Earth. Nation tells the story of two survivors of what can be deduced to be a tidal wave in the South Pacific (here, Pelagic) Ocean: Mau, a young native of these islands whose traditional growth and path to manhood is interrupted when his people are nearly wiped out, and Ermentrude, the daughter (and granddaughter) of British nobility who happened to be on a ship in these waters when disaster struck. We also get hints that there is a different disaster going on in the wider world, too.

Nation is the story of the rebuilding of Mau's Nation, as survivors meet and strive to survive on what remains of Mau's island.

With this simple (but not simplistic) plot and structure, Pratchett brings us a story of survival that YA readers will love, but also throws in a lot for adult readers as well. Touches of his humour, familiar to anyone who has read Discworld, abound. There is even traces of philosophy and weightier matters, but they are only frosting on the solid and densely delicious cake of the novel. Action, adventure, survival, humor, reflection. The novel has everything that a High School English Teacher might hope for in a book to teach students, and has the writing, wit, and entertainment value that will allow those students to actually enjoy reading it.

And to be clear, although its a YA novel, adult fans of Pratchett, like myself, will also highly enjoy this novel. Its not Discworld and doesn't pretend to be, but it has the same high quality of writing, well drawn characters, world building and entertainment value.

Highly Recommended.

In spite of being the best-selling living British author, and one of the most talented, most hoidy-toidy types pigeon-hole Terry Pratchett away in the ghetto called "fantasy humor". So a very large number of educated people have not even heard of him, let alone give him any space as an author of English Literature. This is in spite of writing some of the most truth-filled and life-filled three dozen books you'll find in a bookstore. Perhaps Nation was Pratchett's conscious decision to address that, or perhaps Nation was a book Pratchett, the author, simply had to write before he stopped being able to write.

Nation is not Discworld. It's not humor, parody, or satire. It's categorized as "young adult", which is something of an insult, because it's seemingly based solely on the fact its two primary protagonists are both about 13 years old and his prose is not filled with expletives. Pratchett's style of prose reads like Hemingway, conversational, even informal. But he asks big questions. Nation is a book full of those big questions and the conflict between the pat answers we give ourselves and the truth.

Set in a somewhat parallel-reality 19th century Earth, the story centers on Mau, a young islander who encounters a tidal wave on his way back from his manhood sojourn and survives, a fate not shared by the rest of his people, which he knows only as the Nation. After returning home to nothing, and enduring the horror of burying his tribe at sea, he encounters another survivor. She is Ermintrude (a name she despises, so she introduces herself as Daphne), an English aristocratic maiden who is the sole survivor of the schooner Sweet Judy, dashed upon the island by the tidal wave. Mau and Daphne attempt to negotiate the delicate difficulty of communication while they are surrounded by the aftermath of horrific events.

As the largest tiny island in the tidal wave zone, eventually small groups of survivors from other destroyed village islands begin to arrive. They including a cantankerous priest, a dazed mother with a baby, a pregnant woman who gives birth right after arriving, and a pair of brothers who have worked for the English as seamen. Eventually several dozen people gather at the Nation, with young Mau as their shell-shocked chief.

Mau struggles with the fact that he never learned his tribe's customs. He believes he lost his "boy soul" during his coming of age on the remote trial island, but never received his "man soul" upon arriving home because there was no one left to grant it. His thoughts are filled by his anger towards, and then dismissal of, his tribe's gods while trying to care for all who arrive at the Nation. Daphne goes through a more readily recognizable transition, going from a home where she was consciously raised with as little practical knowledge as possible into a disaster zone where she is utterly alone amongst another ethnic group and is forced to learn life on the fly.

Many of Pratchett's literary signatures are easily recognizable in Nation. Though he has toned down his trademark annotations, Nation still has many moments of what might be called "life humor", funny because they're rooted in life's absurdities and ironies, not because of any conscious attempt to be funny, such as Daphne's discomfort with wearing "only" a dress, pantaloons, and underwear and wanting to "maintain standards" in spite of the absurdity of it in her present surroundings. His characters are basically good, but struggling with immense questions and petty hypocrisies. He consciously sets his story in a parallel reality, so as not to be tied to geographic precision or obligated to populate his environment with real animals. While it's easy to recognize the "Southern Pelagic Ocean" as the south Pacific, it may not be as obvious that the Nation's indigenous Grandfather Bird (which the English call the Pantaloon Bird) is no more ludicrous an animal in its habits than any number of other exotic animals with odd habits. And nodding to Pratchett's fantasy roots, both Mau and Daphne must contend with unbidden communications from voices beyond the veil, such as Mau's conversations with his tribe's death deity, Locaha, and the demanding, bullying voices of the Grandfathers of the tribe.

Many of the issues of faith, organized religion, and hypocrisy Pratchett first directly addressed in the 1992 Discworld novel Small Gods (and turn up continually in his other Discworld novels) crop up as central themes in Nation. The cynical priest Ataba knows, and eventually is forced by Mau to confess to him, that the tribe's "god anchors" -- large square stones used by the former Nation as ad hoc altars -- were man-made, but Ataba also knows that his people need them as simple answers to difficult questions that might get in the way of day-to-day survival if they were thought about too much. It is typical Pratchett irony that Mau and Daphne, both haunted by black events (Mau losing his entire tribe to the tidal wave, Daphne's mother and newborn brother dying in childbirth) and given to conflicts of faith, are the ones that are spoken to by the collective memories of the tribe's Grandfathers and Grandmothers, respectively.

Because Pratchett primarily works in humor, it's not surprising that he's gotten short shrift from literature critics. Perhaps with Nation, Terry Pratchett will have the opportunity to be released for a time from his "fantasy humor" ghetto and finally get some of the literary respect he so richly deserves.

The expansive and delightfully contrary world of the great A'tuin is absent from this work which may perhaps make many of Terry Pratchett's normal fans avoid Nation. I can't think of a worse mistake you could make.

I've always loved Terry Pratchett. He has a wicked sense of humor, and an entertaining, captivating style. His books move fast and generally never drag. More than anything, however, his characters come to life, and he often presents philosophical conundrums in his works that lie subtle in the background rather than reaching out and grabbing your neck to choke you. Some writers do this with their fiction, causing it to become excessively preachy. Some of the Sword of Truth books by Terry Goodkind, which without the soapboxes and morality would have been exceptional, are an example of this.

This is some of his writing at his absolute finest. It has elements of grand adventure and exotic locations. Like the title of my review says, it has the feel of Indiana Jones crossed with the Mummy, crossed with Atlas Shrugged. It's a good time that encourages you to think. Far from being just for children, it's really an excellent book for anyone to read, because it's depth is subtle, yet very profound. Rare are the authors that can convey this.

In fact, it is one of the best features of Nation, that the characters have deep resounding philosophies, moral quandries that abound, and philosophical changes that tear them apart, just about. All of them are written so well that they seem, well, real.

First we meet Mau, a member of the Nation, on a quest to become a man. Chance dictates his manhood will be found a little differently. Ermintrude, the other hero of the story, is an untypical Victorian-esque young english lady. She is fond of science, and is on her way over the sea to meet up with her father, who's been stationed as the governor of a remote tropical island. Her father is in line for the throne, only if well over a hundred people die - a very unlikely thing to occur, but her stodgy and inflexible grandmother delights in reminding her, nonetheless. Worlds apart, random happenstance in the form of a terrible wave shatters both their young plans by changing their worlds forever.

Terry Pratchett masterfully weaves their stories together with both humor at the sheer practicality of their situation, and both of them overcoming their own weaknesses to protect many other people finding them after the large disaster. Mau and Ermintrude (or Daphne, as she comes to be called) couldn't be more different. At the heart though, they are far more similar than you might imagine. I generally detest coming of age stories, because they are usually riddled with cliches and other trite things. This is unique, in that it focuses on something most young adult books do not. It does so in an unorthodox manner.

That one strong current which pervades Nation is simply summed up in one question: what is truth? The quest for truth, both about the universe and about ourselves, can be brutal if you honestly are prepared to allow it to take apart whatever facade you may believe in or see, and engage in that most painful of journeys. In some cases, the truth destroys us before we become exalted by it. Is it worth it? Read the book, and see if it was for Mau and Daphne.

So no, it isn't Discworld. It doesn't have the reckless humor, or the outright silliness it sometimes does. It possesses that depth of substance that lurks even behind the most amusing moments in his other works though, and expands it to a satisfying degree. You won't regret this one.

I've been a reader of Pratchett's Discworld series for quite some time, so I jumped at the chance to read his latest book. It's not a Discworld novel, but Nation has all the trademark Pratchett humor.

Mau returns to his island, the Nation, only to find that the tidal wave which delayed his homecoming wiped out all life on the island. This disaster not only wiped out his way of life, but his faith in his gods as well. The only god he continues to believe in is Locaha, the god of death.

Meanwhile, elsewhere on the island, Daphne (born Ermintrude) has survived the wreck of the Sweet Judy. The only other survivor is the captain's parrot, whose vocabulary is most unsuitable for young ladies.

These two must come together, not only to survive, but to rebuild and protect the Nation which is under attack from cannibalistic raiders, pirates, and imperialists. Both must make the transition from the way they've been taught to view the world, to finding their own visions, often with humorous results.

I picked up this book thru the store's Vine Program. This review is focused on an Advanced Reader's Edition.
Nation by Mr. Terry Pratchett deals with a world that is similar to ours (circa 1840's - 1850's) in which the world is turned upside down. When the book opens we see two different views of the world, the western world where plague is passing (actually it's the Russian Flu) and a Pacific island world that is highly similar to Hawaii or other Polynesian islands where a boy (Mau) is setting out to become a man. In both cases the world changes rather suddenly causing the western world to meet the Pacific Islanders and to learn about things. Focus is on Mau and his Nation and how it changes after the great wave.

My Likes:
This book's opening hits you like a 2x4. The action is immediate and you're thrown for a roller coaster ride. After a few pages of describing the situation in the world, Mr. Pratchett tells us about Mau's quest to become a man and how his world is destroyed/changed by a huge wave. From this opening we're able to determine that the focus is on the island Nation and the differences between it and British Imperialism. Mr. Pratchett does this by having most of the characters being from the Pacific islands, the exception being Daphne, a young British lady who's been shipwrecked on the island. In tell this story, Mr. Pratchett does an excellent job capturing the Polynesian culture and comparing it to the English culture of the era (circa 1840's/50's) thru the eyes of Daphne and Mau. Of critical importance to the story is defining what a savage is. This is something Mr. Pratchett plays with many times in the story by extracting components from different cultures and showing them to us. This difference is best shown in the later half of the book when Daphne, Mau, and the other islanders meet part of the former crew of the Sweet Judy (they were mutineers).
I also loved the strive between life and death. Mr. Pratchett hits us early with death (Locaha, the islander's god of death) and its significance to the individual and the Nation. Continually, Mau is forced to confront and walk in the steps of death while trying to sustain his Nation. As Locaha appears ready to take the Nation, Mau utters `Does Not Happen' (you need to read the story to understand the impact of this).
My last love is the character development. For a short book, Mr. Pratchett breaths life into all of the characters; whether it's Mau, Daphne, Pilu (my favorite character), Cox, or Henry, Daphne's father.

My Dislikes:
My major dislike was that about 1/3rd of the way in there's a lull. While not long, the lull does
result in a change of pace. It's not really a bad thing, but I was on a roll with the earlier piece and it let me down a little. Once you're past that though, the story continues to pick up to the end.
My secondary dislike was that Mr. Pratchett failed to fully explore the similarities and differences between western and island cultures. He talks about it very nicely but never resolved their similarities and differences fully (or at least to my satisfaction). What would have been very nice is if Mr.
Pratchett had drawn better lines of similarity between the Island and early Western culture and closed out with the impact of the Nation on the world.

The Rating:
Mr. Pratchett's writing style grabs you right off. In the first chapter or two I was thinking a solid 5 star book because of the uniqueness and Mr. Pratchett's writing. Once we hit the lull I was thinking it had settled into a 4 star book that I'd say I enjoyed and was happy to see end. However things really picked up in the back half and there's lots of interesting twists, including Daphne meeting members of the former Sweet Judy. Because of this, I'll call it 4.5 stars for me. Since I can't rate half stars I'll go ahead and round it up to 5 stars because the back half was so good and I believe any Terry Pratchett fan would love it! For those who haven't read Mr. Pratchett's works before, he has a certain whimsical style that is highly enjoyable. His books (this one included) have lots of thoughts that are very interesting to say the least. If you enjoy things like this you should find this book to be a 4.5-5 star book; however the less you enjoy this style (or challenging thought pattern) the lower your own rating would be.

My fourteen-year old son and I both thought this book was terrific. An adventure story vaguely set in the 19th century in the South Pacific, it is a unique concoction. The book moves seamlessly back and forth between realism and fantasy, as it considers such issues and coming of age, loss, different cultures, imperialism and more. It covers these subjects with a slow starting but ultimately compelling plot that is both funny and highly literary. This book comes close to certain conventions, but remains unconventional. It is a great book for teens, and perhaps younger, that adults will also enjoy. It does include adult themes and adult endings, so below a certain age it may work less well.

This engaging tale begins with a "coming of age" ritual where a young island boy, Mau, travels to a separate island to live independently. While he is there, a tsunami comes and destroys his village. When Mau returns, he sees the death and destruction and believes he is completely alone.

He is wrong, however. The tsunami has also deposited a ship containing a strong-willed English girl, Daphne, on his island. After a rough start (Daphne tries to kill him), they begin to forge a connection and work together to build shelter and care for the refugees who start coming to their shore. Their new life makes them question many ideas their cultures took for granted - their appropriate roles in society, for starters - and they grow and learn and flourish.

"Nation" is a serious book touching on serious philosophical ideas, but written with a great dash of adventure and humor that make the book a wonderful read for middle school on up.

Nation is a novel about the clash of cultures- what happens when the civilized world meets the uncivilized world, and what might have happened, historically, if everyone had just decided to get along with each other instead of trying to take each other over. This plot idea isn't very original- it has been done by many authors before, and will probably be used many times again. But it IS Terry Pratchett, so the story comes to life with cussing parrots, ornery old grandmothers, the mysteries of milking a pig, an inappropriate song about making beer, and cannibals.

Pratchett is so casual and light-hearted in his writing, but by the end of the book he has made his very important point so eloquently that you might cry.

I don't know how to do justice to a Pratchett plot or to his characters- the plot is good, and the characters are hilarious. I think any Pratchett fan will love this book, and I think anyone who likes satire and witty writing will love Terry Pratchett. If you haven't read him yet, you should. If you have read him, you should check out this book. Neither he nor the book will disappoint.

Note: Beware of reading this book on cramped public transportation. You might read a funny line and snort, and people might look at you oddly and then awkwardly shift away. Believe me. I know.

I found Pratchett's newest book to be very enjoyable and an interesting change from the Discworld books. While it is based on the British Empire of the 19th century, it is clearly a Pratchett variation where we went down the other leg in "the trousers of time."

Growing up, I adored both the book and the movie of "The Swiss Family Robinson" so a book where people have to figure out how to survive and define themselves within their survival is always a good bet.

Daphne rebels against being a girl of her time. She recognizes the bullying tendencies of her grandmother and adores her father who lets her learn science rather than embroidery. When she's stranded on an island with only one other person, they have to figure out each other's language and customs as well as figuring out how to survive.

Other people join them. Some are good people; a few are bad. There are discussions of the rule of law and democracy.

I didn't find the language of Mau, whose Island it is, or the others who join them to be simplistic, though I note other reviewers did. Within his own head, Mau is as good a thinker, at least, as Daphne. If the spoken language is primarily in present tense using simple words, well, I think most Frenchmen would find my French to be primarily in present tense and using a simple vocabulary. It's a common occurrence when trying to be understood in a language one doesn't speak fluently.

This is a story of cultures learning not to clash, people learning to cooperate and survive, and the scientific method.

This book is a fascinating and beautiful alternate history of an Earth where the British Empire encountered a culture that changed the shape of all society and certainly changed the story of the 20th Century.

But first that culture (preserved in one young man) had to confront and change itself.

This is Pratchett's pure philosophy, a narrative humanism that is at once cynical and precious, sarcastic and optimistic. It's a powerful statement and one well worth reading, whether or not you're a fan of Pratchett; whether or not you're a fan of the Discworld.

Personally, I didn't enjoy it as much as the Discworld novels. But then, this book isn't as much meant to be enjoyed. It's a challenge to the reader, and Pratchett executed it masterfully.

I've just discovered Terry Pratchett's books. He writes for young adults, yet I'm an older adult, who loves his writing style. They are normally quirky, fun romps. This one is a bit different; a more serious "coming of age" book, based not quite in our world. It's obviously award worthy.

So first of all, I'm not really sure why this book was categorized as "teen lit" as this is no different from any other Terry Pratchett novel. I guess they are just marketing it that way because it has teenage protagonists and is coming-of-age themed. The book has some very funny writing in it, but I found it to be slow in getting started. The central characters are well-drawn, especially the girl.

It's the story of a proper but ambitious Victorian teenage girl who ends up shipwrecked on a south pacific island with a native boy who is trying to become a man after a tidal wave kills everyone in his village while he is away. You've been here before. Yes, we learn that maybe the English are the real savages, and yes, we learn that subsistence living and abject poverty makes us all very close to nature and noble. But Terry Pratchett has a lot of fun creating the religion of the island and playing with the culture clash and once the 2 main characters do meetup, the pages fly by.

It's not the best Pratchett I've read, but it's a fun read.

Nation is, in many ways, the second coming of Good Omens, another book authored by Mr Pratchett that kept me awake until I was finished and had me re-reading it immediately thereafter. Don't let the marketing towards Children fool you - while this is a great book to read to Children (well, great unless you're a fervent hypocrite from the far ends of the moral spectrum, that is), I can't think of a book I have enjoyed reading more in the last five years. The humor is more subtle than you might be used to from the Discworld series, but all the more enjoyable. It does touch darker themes, but in a way that, while thoughful is light enough to be tolerated by younger readers. Deeply thought provoking, I can't wait until I have children old enough to read this to.

There are plenty of thorough reviews here, so I'll just add my two cents' worth that I found "Nation" to be some of Pratchett's best craftsmanship as a writer and a very satisfying read. The only reason I did not give it five stars is that I'm a bit too far away from my teen years (quite a bit, actually) to buy into the some of the characterizations and situations that perhaps were a bit too idealized for my tastes. I think it should be a hit with teenagers; although here in the USA, if the religious right find out about it they'll probably want to boycott it, as it asks the hard questions about religion that no religion ever truly answers while it implies the possibility of non-Judeo/Christian gods and spritualities (or did the characters just imagine them?).

Once again, Terry Pratchett has proven himself to be an insightful and powerful storyteller. In Nation he presents themes of loss, faith, community, race, and leadership, without forcing ideas on his readers; instead he whispers suggestions in the background, and trusts his readers to actually think.

The characters that make up Nation are occasionally stereotypical, but consistently complicated and honest. Intelligence is the guiding light of this adventure story, and there is very little about it that is "young".

Returning home from an end-of-boyhood ritual on an isolated island, young Mau encounters a giant wave. When he finally reaches his home, he discovers it's been devastated by the wave. He's the only survivor of his nation, which had existed on this mountainous island for centuries. Although alone, Mau isn't the only survivor of the wave. The surge dumped deep in the forest a ship, which carried safely as it turned out, a very important passenger. In this finest of Pratchett's tales for "young adults", he weaves into the story important concepts along with fine entertainment. The mix works well, in ways only Terry Pratchett can conceive. This book will outlast many other contemporary efforts that fail to incorporate the depths of thinking Pratchett can achieve.

How do you rebuild a "nation" from but one survivor? The wave that destroyed so many communities left a tithe of survivors from other islands. In small groups, they begin to accumulate on Mau's island, forcing him - at thirteen years - to become the new "chief". He has already coped with the job of burying his relatives and other members of his nation. Even that propitiating task doesn't seem to quell the demands of The Grandfathers who visit him in dreams and visions. They express unfulfilled needs which he cannot comprehend. One of the refugees Mau must deal with is a Ataba, a priest who had trained on Mau's island. Ataba knows about the gods - and the white god anchors - which are to be kept nearby and bring good luck to the people of the Nation. This idea eludes Mau who wants to know which god brought the Great Wave and why he should be thankful for it.

Another of the wave's spared tithes is "Daphne", the sole survivor of the shipwreck. She's an Unbaked One from a distant land, daughter of one of the "trousermen". Pale skin and pants were known only by rumour in Mau's Nation prior to the wave. "Daphne", who has listened to Prof Aggasize's lectures and shaken hands with Mr Darwin, is rather a special person. She's in line to ascend the throne - but only after the deaths of 139 people, including of course, her father. In the Nation, "Daphne" finds a new life - she delivers babies, amputates limbs, kills a man . . . not what she'd been "trained" to do by her Gran. Above all, she must learn about Mau, his Nation and The Grandfathers residing somewhere in Mau's mind. A considerable challenge for a girl of but thirteen.

There aren't sufficient words of praise for this book. Pratchett builds his characters with his practiced finesse, keeping the tensions of their interacting lives taut but flexible enough for negotiation. After all, these two children begin their lives together without a word of communication. More seriously, however, Pratchett has those "children" begin thinking in ways that even close adults fail to grasp. "Daphne's" confrontation with her father at the conclusion is rich with implications - even for today. Mau, beset with the responsibility of keeping the refugee community in order, ascends to the role of chief, making him the builder of a new Nation, almost by accident. Can such an endeavour actually succeed? In many ways this is one of the most subversive works of fiction for "young adults" available. It portrays not only a world that is other than the one we live in now, but offers a means to achieve it. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

I must start by saying that Terry Pratchett is one of my top 10 favorite authors next to Douglas Adams, Isaac Asimov, PG Wodehouse and Robert Jordan. So going into this book, I probably have a pro-Pratchett bias. If you feel this is makes me unqualified to review this book, click the no next the question was this helpful and move on to the next review.

This title is an exploration of the coming of age plot. The main character is literally coming to age by the practices of his tribe when a strange and sudden tragedy forces him to come into full adult responsibility for the lives and health of others. Through a collection of near strangers his world is expanded. He grows to realize strongly that his world view may not be the only one out there.

Many reviews I have read from non-professionals like myself have stated that this book has a strong anti-religion theme. However, if anything it has a strong anti-tribalism theme (if you are thinking anti spears look up what tribalism actually means). The growth of this character isn't the rejection of his father's religion but the realization that just because it was the one he was raised with does not make it better than everyone else's.

Really, this book has a pro-religion theme as with many of Pratchett's works as while he might take the mic out of them from time to time the gods in this book definitely do exist. Philosophy has always been a strong theme in every book I have read by Mr. Pratchett and I think this is one of the defining reasons why I like his work. Well that, and the 4 or 5 hours I spend smiling and laughing after I put the book down just thinking of my favorite bits.

I don't think Terry Pratchett dumbs down his writing for children. He still has the same adult humor, but he always keeps it coached in subtleties allowing anyone to read it. The only difference I can see is that his books for children feature children as the main characters. The adult topics will pass over any child's head, as well as many adults.

Sadly, this isn't a Discworld novel, nor is it a book about a young witch. This is a historical fantasy set in our prosaic reality. Fabulous writing, as always. I always think that Pratchett's novels end a little early, and this one is the same. I want them to go on forever.
Well worth the purchase.

I'm a big Pratchett fan, but this one didn't do much for me. The coming-of-age messages are too obvious and seem to take themselves too seriously, and most of the characters are types from other books. The beginning hints at two stories, the empire and the island, but then the empire story is neglected... and then the ending comes and ties things up way too neatly. There are a scattering of new and interesting things, there are hints, there are possibilities... but these just don't get attention or development, it all falls away under the narrative causality of a predictable ordinary-boy-saves-everyone story.

This is much different than other Pratchett books, but I loved it anyway. We got it from the library but now we are going to buy it -- it was really provocative and inspiring. I'm not sure I agree with all of the conclusions Mau does, but it feels important to think about all these questions.

***Not sure what age I'd recommend this for. Certainly not before 7th grade. It is written simply but the subject matter is so dense. Great for a read-aloud for couples or parents/teens.

***I have been reading light fluffy novels, and this one came as a shock -- it starts so grimly. Hang in there through the first 50 pages or so, because it's worth it!

I wasn't hooked until about 1/4-1/3 of the way through, but couldn't put it down after that. If you've struggled with the belief system that you inherited from your family or culture, the themes in this book will certainly appeal to you.

This Terry Pratchett novel is not a Discworld book, but it could have been. Those readers familiar with Pratchett know his formula, and most of it is on display here--the intelligent-but-naive heroes, the quirky supporting characters, the two dimensional bad guys who get theirs in the end, etc. All it's lacking are the Discworld trappings, which it instead trades for Victorian England trappings (they fit the book's themes better). It's light and funny and reads quickly.

I especially enjoyed the thematic elements of this book. Pratchett has long flirted with ideas of atheism, rationality, and science in his books, and they really come to the fore in this novel. While I think a little bit of his message is forced--this is clearly a book with some agenda in mind--I didn't mind it. It's a worthy message regardless.

Chock full of wonderfully drawn characters laced throughout with an endearing sense of whimsy. Categorized as young adult reading, this is a book for all ages - and for the ages. Not only will this fantasy entertain you but generate a significant amount of the underlying tenor of the book - thought. The author artfully creates an environment for his protagonists that necessitates the questions so many of us take for granted. Did I mention the humor? Laugh out loud situations and dialogue from start to finish - imagine Robinson Crusoe, Swiss Family Robinson and Lord of the Flies with a dash of Monty Python. Great sfuff indeed!

I just read this book for the second time and was just as moved as I was the first time. Unfortunately I am not a good enough writer to describe the emotions going through me when I read this book, but it is about responsibility, parents and children, the relationship between the young and old, knowledge and what it means, love of knowledge and what *that* means and lots of other things that are important in the process of making us different from, say, tree climbing octopi. Oh, and the story is sad, exciting and pretty damn good. I can't recommend this book enough. I have one sour comment, which could be made about all of Pratchetts's recent book but is particularly pertinent in his young adult books. We all like to think that if we want something enough, we work hard etc we can bend the world, or some desirable subset thereof, to our will. Pratchett says the same thing, although better than most. Unfortunately, that is not the way the world works, but the world is till beautiful. Enjoy.

In a parallel universe set in the time when the British were still exploring and claiming new worlds a plague has affected many of its citizens. On its quest to bring the daughter of the new king back to London, the Sweet Judy is shipwrecked by a tidal wave.

On his journey into manhood Mau had just found the canoe that will take him to his home island where he will become a man. When he arrives, Mau finds that the tidal wave has taken the lives of his entire island Nation.

But when much is taken, something is returned and together Daphne and Mau confront the aftermath of catastrophe. Drawn by the smoke of Mau and Daphne's sheltering fire, other refugees slowly arrive: children without parents, mothers without babies, husbands without wives--all of them hungry and all of them frightened.

Nation was my first Terry Pratchett novel and I enjoyed the journey into this imaginary world and the story told with realism and humor. The characters question faith, struggle to keep their new family safe and overcome the hurdles of a lifestyle turned upside down all while forging a new Nation. I recommend this book to all YA readers.

I am reading this really cool book. The book is called Nation by Terry Pratchett. He is a great writer and he can be serious and funny at the same time.

This book is both historical fiction and fantasy at the same time, which is cool. The historical part is that it happens in the 19th century when England had an empire. The fantasy part is that it happens in this made-up ocean where people live on islands, its kind of like Polynesia but its different.

Anyways this boy who is about 13 is suppose to pass this test to become a man. So he goes out to an island by himself. While he is doing that a big wave comes and wipes out his whole village. When he gets home he buries all the people. Its really sad.

Meanwhile an English girl about the same age, her ship crashed on the island because of the wave, everybody on the ship but her died. So now the boy and the girl are stuck on the island together. At first they can't communicate at all but then they start to. And other people start washing up on the island needing their help. What's cool about this story is how the girl and the boy are so different, but they learn to like each other and become friends.

This is a funny story and it is also serious and sad too. I would give it 5 stars out of 5, the maximum! Everybody should read this, and you don't have to be a kid! Adults will like it too I think.

Pratchett is best known for his Discworld series, a collection of semi-comic fantasy novels that vary in quality. Pratchett is an idiosyncratic writer, so his work tends to either speak to you or not. I've never found myself overly enamored with his stuff, although that's a matter of taste rather than quality. The same goes for "Nation." While I got what he was trying to do, and could appreciate his skill at doing it, it just didn't entertain me as much as I'd hoped. So while it's still recommended to Pratchett's fans, especially the younger ones, it's a qualified recommendation.

I just read this book for the second time and was just as moved as I was the first time. Unfortunately I am not a good enough writer to describe the emotions going through me when I read this book, but it is about responsibility, parents and children, the relationship between the young and old, knowledge and what it means, love of knowledge and what *that* means and lots of other things that are important in the process of making us different from, say, tree climbing octopi. Oh, and the story is sad, exciting and pretty damn good. I can't recommend this book enough. I have one sour comment, which could be made about all of Pratchetts's recent book but is particularly pertinent in his young adult books. We all like to think that if we want something enough, we work hard etc we can bend the world, or some desirable subset thereof, to our will. Pratchett says the same thing, although better than most. Unfortunately, that is not the way the world works, but the world is till beautiful. Enjoy.

In a parallel universe set in the time when the British were still exploring and claiming new worlds a plague has affected many of its citizens. On its quest to bring the daughter of the new king back to London, the Sweet Judy is shipwrecked by a tidal wave.

On his journey into manhood Mau had just found the canoe that will take him to his home island where he will become a man. When he arrives, Mau finds that the tidal wave has taken the lives of his entire island Nation.

But when much is taken, something is returned and together Daphne and Mau confront the aftermath of catastrophe. Drawn by the smoke of Mau and Daphne's sheltering fire, other refugees slowly arrive: children without parents, mothers without babies, husbands without wives--all of them hungry and all of them frightened.

Nation was my first Terry Pratchett novel and I enjoyed the journey into this imaginary world and the story told with realism and humor. The characters question faith, struggle to keep their new family safe and overcome the hurdles of a lifestyle turned upside down all while forging a new Nation. I recommend this book to all YA readers.

I am reading this really cool book. The book is called Nation by Terry Pratchett. He is a great writer and he can be serious and funny at the same time.

This book is both historical fiction and fantasy at the same time, which is cool. The historical part is that it happens in the 19th century when England had an empire. The fantasy part is that it happens in this made-up ocean where people live on islands, its kind of like Polynesia but its different.

Anyways this boy who is about 13 is suppose to pass this test to become a man. So he goes out to an island by himself. While he is doing that a big wave comes and wipes out his whole village. When he gets home he buries all the people. Its really sad.

Meanwhile an English girl about the same age, her ship crashed on the island because of the wave, everybody on the ship but her died. So now the boy and the girl are stuck on the island together. At first they can't communicate at all but then they start to. And other people start washing up on the island needing their help. What's cool about this story is how the girl and the boy are so different, but they learn to like each other and become friends.

This is a funny story and it is also serious and sad too. I would give it 5 stars out of 5, the maximum! Everybody should read this, and you don't have to be a kid! Adults will like it too I think.

Pratchett is best known for his Discworld series, a collection of semi-comic fantasy novels that vary in quality. Pratchett is an idiosyncratic writer, so his work tends to either speak to you or not. I've never found myself overly enamored with his stuff, although that's a matter of taste rather than quality. The same goes for "Nation." While I got what he was trying to do, and could appreciate his skill at doing it, it just didn't entertain me as much as I'd hoped. So while it's still recommended to Pratchett's fans, especially the younger ones, it's a qualified recommendation.

I just finished this book last night and am simply amazed. The characters are complex but real, the story gripping, and the philosophy inspiring. Terry Pratchett's sublime imagery and gift of descriptive verse are on brilliant display here, and the story is not only fascinating but, well, just feels right. I know this is supposed to be for kids, but like his Discworld "young adult" books, there is plenty here for an adult to enjoy and it is not written in a childish manner. This is a departure from Discworld, but a beautiful and now-treasured one.

Wonderfully written engaging and downright a must read for anyone. It literally brought tears to my eyes at some stages but more for missing the author than a sadness in the story.

There have been many reviews already summarizing and introducing the plot points and characters so let me just add one point.

There is a social and educational commentary in this book that comes across quite perfectly IMHO.

What can be said about Nation that hasn't been said a thousand times? Pratchett is a magician.

In this world- so much like our own- we are told a story about life and death, grief and absolution, pigs and sailors, and everything else. I laughed at the Tree Climbing Octopi, the Parrot and the not-so-subtle jabs at British Imperialism. I cried when Mau sent the dogs into the Dark Water and Daphne thinking about the little coffin on top of the big one. And I thought; about what it means to be alive, tradition, faith and what it means to be a Nation.

It doesn't have a happy ending, or a sad ending. It has the right ending.

It's a book I would recommend to anyone. Don't let the colorful cover art and the YA rating steer you away. This is a book that everyone, no matter how old, will love.

NATION
by Terry Pratchett
332 pp.
HarperCollins Publishers

Most of us can trace our love affair with books back to a few select titles. Personally, as a child and young adult I was enamored with the likes of The Phantom Tollbooth, A Wrinkle In Time, and Bridge To Terabithia. These books are so valuable because they create lifelong readers.

Terry Pratchett's new novel, Nation, is such a book.

Most readers are familiar with the incisive wit and boundless satire characteristic of Pratchett's Discworld series, primarily responsible for the author's 55 million copies sold worldwide. But Pratchett also has a long history of writing for young people, dating back to his first novel, The Carpet People (1971). He's written a couple of trilogies for young people, and even introduced the Discworld to young adults with such successes as The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents. As a fan, I've done my best to keep up with Pratchett's prodigious output, and I am far from reading everything the man has written. Still, I feel qualified to characterize Nation as something different.

Nation is the story of Mau, an island boy on his journey to become a man. When he returns home, he finds his entire community--known only as "Nation"--destroyed by a massive wave. No longer a boy and not yet a man, Mau is in the disheartening situation of having to clean up after the deadly storm. It is then that Mau, now entirely alone, begins to question his people's traditions and even their religious beliefs.

Mau is joined by a shipwrecked girl from Victorian England, Daphne, who is accustomed to the finer things in life. Together, the two young people help one another carry on. And as survivors of the wave from other nearby islands gravitate toward Mau's island, Mau and Daphne find themselves rebuilding a society from scratch.

Nation will become a young adult favorite for different reasons, foremost of which is that it is both accessible and enthralling. A literary artisan, Pratchett understands how to ensnare the reader's attention and arrest it completely. However, in Nation he manages this with a minimum of the wittiness that permeates many of his other books. Mau is a naturally sympathetic character who faces unspeakable hardships. Daphne, too, is entertaining and greatly challenged. In these two characters and indeed many of the supporting characters, Pratchett has created a cast that is perhaps more believable than many of his others--but no less intriguing. These are characters that will resonate with readers for a lifetime.

This is also a true adventure story in the realm of Robert Louis Stevenson or Rudyard Kipling, not only because it deals in shipwrecks and wilderness, but because of the hazards posed by the story's environments and the revelations they elicit from the characters. Granted, the Nation's island is remote. Even to its own inhabitants like Mau (not to mention pampered strangers like Daphne) the island poses significant hardships. But if these obstacles represented only physical danger, Nation would not resonate as it does. At one point, Mau must capture and milk a wild pig to feed a starving baby. The pig could easily injure or kill Mau, but he devises a way around this. While the danger to Mau creates significant tension and results in a gratifying payoff, it is not the danger that is most gratifying. Rather, it is the changes that come over Mau as a result of this and other similar obstacles that make the story worth reading. Similarly, Daphne's immersion into a world without petticoats or books does much more than simply entertain the reader. It makes the reader think and devise ideas, which is one of the true joys of reading, especially for young people.

And there is plenty to think about. Pratchett does not address his young audience with kid gloves. In fact, few adult-oriented authors can pack so many thought-provoking conflicts and resolutions into a single novel while maintaining a good read. Pratchett himself has alluded to reading beyond his age as a youngster, and he no doubt expects the same of Nation's audience. Through Mau's tribulations, the reader is confronted with substantial questions on religion, cultural norms, the roles of men and women, and iniquities of tribal societies versus those in the developed world. Young readers will appreciate being treated as adults and will benefit from the thoughts that Pratchett provokes. And they will remember Nation for provoking those thoughts.

Nation is also trademark Pratchett in some places. Pratchett is a creator of worlds, and Mau's world is full of unique sights. Foremost among these are the animals of Mau's island, such as the tree-climbing octopus and the grandfather bird. They allow a source of levity and relief from the more disturbing proceedings that only the creator of Discworld could conjure.

Longtime Pratchett fans might not know what to make of Nation. The humor and wizardry of many Discworld novels is almost nonexistent. But those familiar with Pratchett's health (He was diagnosed in late 2007 with Alzheimers.) may detect more self-contemplation than outright humor. Take, for instance, this passage:

"They didn't know why these things were funny. Sometimes you laugh because you've got no more room for crying. Sometimes you laugh because table manners on a beach are funny. And sometimes you laugh because you're alive, when you really shouldn't be."

Granted, these words have a very particular place in the story. But few authors facing significant health problems could write such words without regard of their own health.

If Nation does not end up on students' summer reading lists, I'll be disappointed. It is a very good example of young adult literature that is enjoyable, thought-provoking, and momentous in terms of the author's personal situation. If nothing else, Nation will hopefully introduce young people to the wide worlds of Terry Pratchett. If so, we will undoubtedly have many more bibliophiles on our hands.

Nation is a well written and thought provoking book, but it's one big failing for me at least was that it's quite hard to engage with the lead characters. Certainly you can feel for them, but there's a certain amount of preach going on that makes them somehow feel like two-dimensional cut-outs employed in the purpose of allegory only with little real depth of their own.

You can see that the topics rae ones that Pratchett feels strongly about and wants you to feel strongly about too (as you should as they're good things to consider), but maybe it's a little overbearing here, I almost felt like I was reading one half of an internal argument, like it wanted a riposte that was never forthcoming, or maybe there's just a hint of some anger here, or maybe I'm just imagining this there.

Pratchett is of course as ever fluid in his prose and makes what he does seem almost too easy, but he's certainly being more earnest here (OK OK I said the same thing three times now). It's well worth the read but think of this is fitting in more with the style of the Tiffany Aching trilogy rather than the Sam Vimes or other Discworld Novels. This is totally in keeping though as Pratchett is one of those authors who just when you're getting comfortable suddenly ups and changes his style and this makes him tremendously exciting to follow. I just hope that something can be done for his frustratingly untimely EOA so we can see many more from him.

I've rated this three out of 5, not in relation to other authors, but purely in relation to Pratchett in general, compared to others it goes without saying that this would be within the 4-5 range.

Daphne, the 139th in line to the crown of England, is shipwrecked on an island after a tsunami wipes out everything. Mau finds his way back to the island after his coming of age ritual. Together, the "ghost girl" and the "savage boy" rebuild their world, and more importantly, their understanding of that world. Adolescence, as much as the wave, has shaken their belief and faith in their worlds. Daphne and Mau challenge the gods and their religion, as well as their ancestors and cultures, but eventually come to understand their traditions. It is a favorite theme of Pratchett's, that human beings need fantasy and beliefs. A refreshing, original, complex, and fascinating coming-of-age tale that deals with the metaphysical, philosophical growth. Difficult language, surreal humor, and complex and abstract themes make this a mature read (high school, at least), but a brilliant one. Grade: A-

The front flap of one of "Nation" author Terry Pratchett's earlier books reads "In recent years [Discworld, his primary series] has split into "adult" and "children's" series. The difference between them is that one deals with serious themes, while the other one is for adults." Though "Nation" isn't a Discworld book - it's set on an island on an alternate Earth - it follows the pattern. A YA book, it's really quite serious about growing up, critical thinking, and belief - the book's biggest problem is that it's Anvilicious in a way only Richard Dawkins could love.

What's disappointing about this is though the latter half of the book is as emphatic as the first, it handles things more smoothly. The fault isn't that the messages forms the entire plot scaffolding - there are times this works well - but that Pratchett feels the need to go on about it when he should let it demonstrate itself. Normally his YA novels handle this better. His trademark humor isn't as present as usual either; the book undoubtedly has its moments and it's not as serious as "Night Watch", but they're fewer and farther between than normal.

Which isn't to say "Nation" is a bad book*; Pratchett's previous books set a very high bar that most authors can't meet. Mau, Daphne, and the rest of the book's cast are wonderfully engaging people. This just isn't the author's best.

***1/2

(* I dislike the store's "3 stars is negative" idea.)

"They didn't know why these things were funny. Sometimes you laugh because you've got no more room for crying."

Terry Pratchett's newest YA novel carries the reader through on this basic concept: hope/laughter in the face of deepest sorrow. Though the story is frought with turmoil and emotional upheaval for its two young heros (Mau and Daphne) it unfolds into a tale of personal rebuilding when it seems there is little left to stand on.

Pratchett weaves between individual, community and worldy dilemmas in a very palatable way for the audience he's targeted.

I felt it was a little overt and boardering on contived at times on matters of god vs. no god and science vs. religion (as with discussions between Daphne and her father and those of Mau with Ataba), but the author's arguments felt balanced and inviting of the individual reader to make up her or his own mind.

On the lighter side, I chuckled throughout at the comic relief provided by the grandfather birds and the parrot, who always seemed to pop in to break up the greyness of the character's troubling internal and worldy experiences.

Overall, I found the book both engaging in imagery and plot. I truly cared to see what came of Mau and Daphne and was pleased at the maturity they reached in managing the untold terrors and joys life can provide. They are working role models for the youth this story aims at speaking to.

Nation begins small with a boy . . . then a girl . . . then the story builds . . . This novel has twists and turns, adventure and suspense, villains and heroes, romance and tenderness. As the story builds the plot thickens until the reader cannot put it down. It crescendos into not one, but multiple climaxes, each more heartwarming than the last. Pratchett's style draws the reader in. He creates a world of fantasy that is better than television. These are characters that one cares about. The only drawback is the length. At 332 pages this is not a book that will be read in one sitting.

When Pratchett said that much would be taken, he was not kidding. What a believable portrayal of an enormous loss! Unfortunately, as Philip Pullman might say, the story must not be guided by an author's beliefs, so as much as I agree with Pratchett's worldview, I found that a great deal was also lost from the story because he wanted a nice conclusion so much.

this is pratchett's first non-discworld book in many years and i opened it expecting to find it uninteresting. instead, i found myself immersed in an entertaining, often humorous, and very touching book. what i found particularly moving was what i perceived to be a subtext to the story of a bereft boy, sole survivor of his tribe, who struggles with the loss of identity, loss of culture, and the preservation of memory. i felt perhaps that pratchett was also writing about his encroaching alzheimers, the overwhelming tidal wave that is taking away his identity and his memories, and forcing him to adapt to a future that lacks the markers and guides he depended on in the past. i can't imagine that this is accidental

Different from Discworld, but it is still the voice and tone of Terry Pratchett. Worth reading if you like the idea of a coming-of-age story set on an Pacific-like island in alternate history of the British age of Imperialism.

This now ranks as my favourite book by Pratchett. Its got his unique style, but an accessability that Discworld lacks to most people. I found myself interested in the protagonists, the story of personal and cultural discovery, and vested in their eventual path.

And when I was done, I found myself thinking the questions that I imagine Pratchet wantd me to think... And, I know that when I can pass this onto my children who are too young to understand now, they'll be able to come up with those same questions.

And hopefully, they'll be comfortable with their answers.

The main reason this one's getting four stars instead of five is that I found it slow in places, especially the beginning. However, despite this, Pratchett shows that outside of Discworld he's still a wickedly insightful observer of human nature, and a wonderfully talented writer. This young adult novel illustrates important lessons about how people interact and create cohesive groups, and what that identity means. While there's not the silliness of Discworld, there's still the cute turns of phrase and visual images that characterize Pratchett's writing. A good read for adults of all ages, young included.