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Nation Audiobook
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(4.00) - 13,671 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
New York Times Bestseller * Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize * Winner of the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award * Michael L. Printz Medal honor winner
From the pen of Sir Terry Pratchett, author of the beloved and bestselling Discworld fantasy series, comes an epic adventure of survival that mixes hope, humor, and humanity.
When a giant wave destroys his village, Mau is the only one left. Daphne—a traveler from the other side of the globe—is the sole survivor of a shipwreck. Separated by language and customs, the two are united by catastrophe. Slowly, they are joined by other refugees. And as they struggle to protect the small band, Mau and Daphne defy ancestral spirits, challenge death himself, and uncover a long-hidden secret that literally turns the world upside down.
Sir Terry also received a prestigious Printz Honor from the American Library Association for his novel Dodger.
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"This simultaneously humorous and philosophical Printz Honor book follows Mau, an islander in the alternate-history South Pelagic Ocean whose entire village is destroyed by a massive tidal wave. The wave that kills his entire people, however, also deposits some interesting debris: the wreck of an English sailing ship and its sole human survivor, a girl named Ermintrude (but who understandably goes by the nickname Daphne). Can the two overcome their cultural and linguistic differences to rebuild their shattered lives? The first half of the story is a fun adventure/romance filled with laugh-out-loud footnotes; the second half becomes more philosophical as it considers the existence of higher powers who could allow the tragedy of the tidal wave to happen. The ending is bittersweet, but appropriate to the story."
— Carolyn (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“A wonderful story, by turns harrowing and triumphant.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“A novel of ideas, a ferocious questioning of vested cultural attitudes and beliefs. A terrific, thought-provoking book.”
— Washington Post Book World -
“Neatly balancing the somber and the wildly humorous in a riveting tale of discovery, Pratchett shows himself at the height of his powers.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“A searching exploration of good and evil, fate and free will, both as broad and as deep as anything this brilliant and, happily, prolific author has produced so far.”
— Kirkus Reviews
Awards
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A New York Times bestseller
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A 2009 Audie Award Finalist
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A 2009 Michael L. Printz Award Finalist
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Winner of the 2008 Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Young Adult Literature
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A 2008 ALA Best Book for Young Adults
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Winner of the 2009 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award
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A 2009 ALA Odyssey Award Honor Audiobook
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A 2009 Locus Award Nominee
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A 2008 School Library Journal Best Book
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A 2008 Booklist Editors’ Choice for Young Adults
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A 2008 Publishers Weekly Best Book
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Kirkus Reviews’ Best Books, Best Book for Teens 2008
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A 2008 ALA Notable Book
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A 2009 Mythopoeic Award Nominee for Children's Literature
Nation Listener Reviews
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flynn bitter, 4/23/2024
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Bruce Jondle, 12/20/2023
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" AMAZING! One of the best books I've read last decade. Sorry in a rush and can't write more- not that there is a short of description or reviews available about Nation. "
— Carmine, 2/16/2014 -
" A delightful change of pace from Pratchett here. Poignant and stunningly observed/realised as always. "
— Sebastian, 2/4/2014 -
" I quit this one 1/4 of the way through. I've heard its really good, but I didnt really like it. Its just not MY thing. "
— ♥Emily♥, 1/20/2014 -
" Loved this original and inventive tale written for 12 and up. Complete LOL humor for me, although much of it would possibly go over the heads of younger readers. The characters are fresh and engaging. Will definitely read this one to my almost 10-year-old later this year! "
— Andrea, 1/17/2014 -
" I like his writing style. It's kind of an alternative universe with British colonial roots. Has some good themes worth thinking about. Juxtaposing a girl brought up in "proper" society with native islanders will do that. "
— Alyn, 1/1/2014 -
" Ohhhh... I'm sure I'll go back to this someday when I need my Pratchett fix, but I could not force myself to go through it right now. It didn't have his trademark tongue-in-cheek humor at all and I couldn't get into the story or work up any interest for the main character. Oh well... Next time. "
— Ryn, 12/29/2013 -
" i fell in love with this book, just brilliant, Terry Pratchett is one heck of a story teller, and a good writer as well! "
— Rui, 11/30/2013 -
" Interesting book- not as funny as the Discworld novels, but then again it's not really meant to be. I'm glad to see Terry Pratchett branching out and writing something completely new. Nation was a great stand-alone novel, perhaps a bit bittersweet in the end, but very enjoyable. "
— Brianne, 11/28/2013 -
" Ecce, Pratchett as an angry atheist. Still a funny one, though. "
— Helen, 4/29/2013 -
" Nice story about a self-contained nation on a remote large island. "
— Ange, 7/10/2012 -
" Okay. When I'm feeling better we'll talk about it. Because this book is gorgious. "
— Keegan, 5/3/2012 -
" An absolutely lovely paean to science and ratonal thinking, with equal parts humor and heart. "
— Dale, 12/29/2011 -
" Nation is a wonderful, thought-provoking and masterfully told. It's a mixture of myth, fantasy and history mashed together with humor and fascinating questions about religion, gender and clashes of cultures. "
— Adrian, 11/29/2011 -
" If you have NO interest in the Discword series, this is your book. The characters will be familiar types to Pratchett readers, but the setting and story are unique. This one rated a "wow" from all of the Pratchett readers in my life. "
— Shelley, 11/15/2011 -
" Awesome book!! I wasn't sure at first if I wanted to finish it, but am I glad I did!! "
— Sandy, 5/12/2011 -
" I was blown away by this book. Incredible. "
— Keir, 5/10/2011 -
" Never thought a TP book would frustrate me but this certainly did. It took at least 200 pages to get in to, then flowed nicely until the utterly terrible ending (today). Why Sir Terry would you end a book in that way? "
— Chris, 5/4/2011 -
" Meiner Meinung nach das beste Buch von TP, <br/> <br/>mehr ein Märchen als ein Fantasy Roman und einfach großartig Fesselnd! "
— Patrick, 5/4/2011 -
" I liked this book very much, but not as much as his Discworld series. I love the worlds that Terry Pratchett creates and I love his British humor! "
— Jennifer, 4/29/2011 -
" loved it. Listened to it on tape and often laughed out loud. "
— Kathleen, 4/29/2011 -
" I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!!! The ending made me really sad though, but I really liked how the author made me love his characters and their story! "
— Phoebe, 4/20/2011 -
" This book made me cry. But in a good way. Nuff said. "
— Siân, 4/18/2011
About Terry Pratchett
Terry Pratchett (1948–2015) was an English novelist known for his frequently comical work in the fantasy genre. He is best known for his popular and long-running Discworld series. His first novel, The Carpet People, was published in 1971, and after publishing his first Discworld novel, The Color of Magic, in 1983, he wrote two books a year on average. He was the United Kingdom’s bestselling author of the 1990s and has sold more than 55 million books worldwide. In 2001 he won the Carnegie Medal for his children’s novel The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to literature in 1998 and was knighted in 2009.
About Stephen Briggs
Stephen Briggs, who also works in film, has adapted and staged fifteen Discworld plays, collaborated with Terry Pratchett on a number of related works, and performed the audio recordings of Pratchett’s books. Briggs has won five AudioFile Earphones Awards. He lives in England.