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?
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