A Book About a Girl Who Measures Plates

First of all, the best part about The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett are the names of the Nac Mac Feegle. My personal favorite is probably Slightly Mad Angus, but he only beats out Not-As-Big-As-Medium-Sized-Jock-But-Bigger-Than-Wee-Jock-Jock by a hair. I really enjoyed the language and slang terms of the Nac Mac Feegle, as well as the way Terry Pratchett wrote their accents. This humor and world building is what originally drew me to this book.

                From the start, the character, Tiffany Aching, captured my attention. I love that we are introduced to her in her attempt to use her brother as bait to hit a lake creature with a frying pan. Her journey from deciding to become a witch, to being chosen as the Kelda, to saving Wentworth from the Queen, makes her even more savvy than she is at the start. Tiffany is frequently underestimated. What surprised me most about this story was that the public’s perception of Tiffany doesn’t change much, despite how much she herself changes. In the end, when Roland receives all the credit for saving Wentworth and defeating the Queen, I was sure Tiffany was going to come forward and defend herself. I think that the Tiffany Aching at the beginning of the book probably would have. But, after she assures Roland that she would be watching, her change in character and maturity became even clearer.

                I really enjoyed the themes of family and home in this story. Tiffany is driven to create normalcy in her home again after Wentworth is kidnapped. She also has a very strong connection to her Grandmother, evident in her imagining of Grannie’s chewing tobacco. It is her ancestry and dedication to her family that ultimately saves her, as well as assures her that she will become a full witch someday. The Nac Mac Feegle are also very family motivated, as they are a clan of warrior who are dedicated to their Kelda. It is their willingness to sacrifice their safety for the good of their Kelda that aids Tiffany the most in her quest.

                Ultimately this is a tale about personal growth and finding strength in family. Also, there’s a frog lawyer in this story. How can it not be good?