Nation by Terry Pratchett

Terry Pratchett has taken a slice of Robinson Crusoe, a dollop of Lord of the Flies, and sprinkling of Treasure Island to concoct a deliciously rich and entertaining story.   Set on an island that has been wiped out by a great tsunami (while there is no direct reference, it could be Krakatoa – the story seems to occur in the South Pacific in an alternative late 19th century).  Only Mau, a young boy whose rite of passage to manhood was stymied by the great wave, and Ermintrude a British girl whose ship was flung into the island’s jungle, are alive on the island.

A motley cast of characters finds their way to the island to join them – a storyteller, a motherless child, a pregnant woman, a crazy tribal priest.  Together they must rebuild a way of life and a system of belief while they fight off the threat of mutineers, pirates and, yes, cannibals.

Pratchett asks big questions and always has cheeky answers.  This is a fun read.  It is not a part of the Discworld series, so can be read by itself.       John WLS