This 2009 Printz Honor book is a terrific adventure story but much more. In an alternative universe in the age of the great sailing ships, a tsunami wipes out the people of a tiny island that proudly calls itself The Nation. Only Mau survives. Shipwrecked on the island is an English girl who is unknowingly in line to inherit the British throne. This book is a survival story - a story of culture class between native people and Europeans. It is also a story about religious belief as Mau struggles to align the beliefs of his people and the eternal question: why does God(s) allow bad things to happen to innocent people? Why did I survive?Oh and did I mention there is a little romance? Teens should enjoy this one.
8 comments:
This story seems to have some of the elements of "Call it Courage" by Armstrong Sperry, a book I enjoyed. How does the alternate universe fit in?
It is an alternate universe because it is set in real history (when Britain was a great empire and ruled the seas with its Navy) but things happen that did not happen in history. For example there is a great plague in England that kills 37 (?) heirs to the throne which is how the shipwrecked girl turns out to be the Crown Princess.
I thought of "Call it Courage" and "Robinson Crusoe" from your description. It sounds like a good read - would it be more for high school students? I would think that the middle school students might enjoy this as well.
This one sounds good! I will have to look this one up.I am forever looking for culture books when I am teaching international business and the big problem that my students have is understanding different cultures and the acceptance of them, this sounds like something that may help them see how different cultures can co-exist.
I think I would like this book. The first thing I thought of was Robinson Crusoe, which I liked. And this book has a twist - an alternate universe. I love books that take history, throw in a twist and see how that affects the future - alternate realities. One author that comes to mind - Harry Turtledove. I will have to try this one. Another thing that is drawing me in - the ocean and navies. I really like the Sharpe's Books by Bernard Cornwell. Sharp is a British soldier in the early 1800's. I was also thinking of books by Patrick O'Brian.
Sounds like a good book. I have enjoyed books about islands since I was in first grade. And espicailly people LOST (as in the TV show) on an island. The clash of cultures is a theme I like to read about as well.
I've read the reviews for this book a million times, I keep meaning to read it. Terry Pratchett writes some funny stuff, is the book more serious or does it have humor too? Alternate time lines give an author some cool opportunities to expose readers to cultures in a way that history class sometimes misses out on, I'm curious to see how that happens here.
Sounds like a worthwhile read. I like the way you say so much with so few words. Parsimonious. I need to work on this!
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