A Book Review: A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett (Discworld #32)

"Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.

The words ran through Tiffany’s mind as she watched the sheep, and she found joy – at the new lambs, at life, at everything. Joy is to fun what the deep sea is to a puddle. It’s a feeling inside that can hardly be contained.

I’ve come back! she announced to the hills. Better than I went!"

                - Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky

Every Discworld novel is supposed to be a stand alone story, but I think the best way to appreciate A Hat Full of Sky is to read The Wee Free Men first. As a direct sequel to The Wee Free Men, A Hat Full of Sky continues the adventures of our young witch-to-be, Tiffany Aching, and her little but ferocious allies, the clan Nac Mac Feegle.

Synopsis:

Tiffany Aching, now eleven years old (and still level-headed), leaves her home on the Chalk for the mountains to begin her apprenticeship in witchcraft. Tiffany expects to learn powerful magic and wonderful spells, the sort that witches do in the fairytales that everyone knows about, but instead Tiffany was given mundane chores, such as nannying the goats and washing the kitchen.

Surely witchcraft is more than this? While Tiffany continues with the grinds, Rob Anybody, the leader of the Nac Mac Feegle clan, settled down to a married life with a new kelda. So, everything is finally looking normal, right? Not quite, unknown to Tiffanny, an invisible and bizzare creature called Hiver is after her. The Hiver sustains its life by taking over the bodies of powerful sorceresses. Rob Anybody and his fierce clansman know the Hiver is coming for Tiffany, but neither clan Feegle nor Mistress Weatherwax can protect her this time. No, in the end, Tiffany must gather all of her inner strength to save herself.

My thoughts about this book:

A Hat Full of Sky is a wonderful book, but its opening chapters were recapping the events that took place in The Wee Free Men. The recaps are useful for the new readers, but it slows down pace of the the story. Otherwise, Tiffany's second adventure tells a fun story with great themes and good moral lessons. Speaking of moral lessons, it is worth noting that the narratives in this book, as well as in its predecessor's, both subvert the authorial tone found in the narratives of most young adult novels. In A Hat Full of Sky, the narratives spoke directly to its reader, yet it retained the satirical tone that is the hallmark for all Discworld novels; it is as if a peer is telling you a humorous and clever story with a cocked eyebrow, who trusts that you are perfectly capable to think for yourself and then understanding the jokes and the story's underlying themes.

This book is packed with cultural references galore, a few examples include Frank Herbert's Dune and the witch trials in the real history. Meanwhile, its setting resembles the rural England where Terry Pratchett grew up. The story is rich and exciting, it delivers a very satisfying finale where Terry Pratchett offered a touching, beyond good and evil solution to the Hiver, a finale that also highlighted Tiffany as a heroine of substance.

A Hat Full of Sky also dealt with themes such as peer pressure, power, self identity and destiny. On the surface, Tiffany's apprenticeship in witchcraft may seem familiar to the story of Harry Potter going to Hogwarts. As we read on, however, we discover that Terry Pratchett and J.K. Rowling handled these themes very differently, and it has to do with the meaning of this book's title, "A Hat Full of Sky". Let me explain:

(spoilers ahead):

Harry Potter had super powers because he was born with the blood of wizards. In other words, Harry's powers were "given" to him. Furthermore, Harry was "destined" to be a hero and fight the evil wizard Voldemort. The archetype, of a specially appointed hero who inherited his power and destiny to do big and important things, such as restoring order and battle against evil, this archetype is found not only in modern stories, but also in ancient myths.

What about Tiffany? On Discworld, a witch's signature is her pointy hat, and a witch's works consist of solving mundane problems for everyday folks, problems that witches resolve with common sense and kindness. During this book's pivotal moment, Tiffany was recognized as a witch by her brethren, and she had to choose the type of pointy hat she will use from now on. Her options include: 1) A classy, star-spangled hat from the leading shop in the village. 2) An old, battered hat that belonged to Granny Weatherwax (the most famous witch on Discworld), and Tiffany won the hat from a prestige witchery competition. 3) A hat that Tiffany will make for herself from everything that is valuable and close to her heart. It suffices to say that our heroine chose the third option, hence the meaning of the book's title, "A Hat Full of Sky". I believe this book offers a valuable lesson not only for young readers, but also for adults as we toil away in our daily grinds.

(the end of spoilers)

My favorite Discworld books remain those ones featuring Samuel Vimes and his band of city watchmen, but I am finding myself enjoying these Tiffany Aching books too. After reading both The Wee Free Men and A Hat Full of Sky, I came to realize that even though Tiffany Aching books are oriented towards the young readers, but they also have in them the marrows of Terry Pratchett's worldview that continues to be inspirations in my own life. As I venture into the series' next installment called Wintersmith, I will highly recommend A Hat Full of Sky to my fellow readers.

Until the next time, happy reading!