This is the Discworld, supported by four giant elephants that stand on the back of the Great A'Tuin - a turtle, ten thousand miles long, making his (or her) way through space. This is a world where anything is possible. And on this world everyone knows what it means when an eighth son of an eighth son is born. That's when you have a wizard in your family.
And so a wizard's staff is passed on to a particular newborn. Except that this eighth son of an eighth son is actually a girl. And everyone knows that girls can't be wizards...
It's a lucky thing for the family that Granny Weatherwax is around, keeping a close eye on Esk and her staff. When the girl grows up and the magic is finding a way out, Granny decides to take the girl under her wing and teach her the witching. However, there are differences between witches and wizards, and for good reason. There comes a time when a girl must find her destiny, and that destiny lies in Ankh-Morpork, the home of the Unseen University, the place where wizards learn to be, well, wizards.
But just because you have a staff and just because you have power does not mean that you will get accepted. Girls are girls, and ancient views are not easily changed. Until the time comes when you need to stand up for yourself and show that tradition is not always correct, just because that's how things were always done...
"Equal Rites" is the story of a girl on a mission, a girl going against all odds to find out about herself and to claim her rightful place. It's also a story about tradition and how resistant people can be to change. And it's a story about respect, for yourself and for others.
That sounds very serious, so I must not forget to mention that the book is funny and generally quite light-hearted. Terry Pratchett is a creative, inventive author and a delightful storyteller. No matter what mood you are in when you start reading this book, you will soon find yourself smiling.
Pratchett has a way of bringing characters to life. His insights into human nature reflect the silliness in us all. Even the darker, more serious aspects we are all familiar with do have a place on the Discworld and are given a humorous spin.
I would recommend this book to everyone, young and old.
According to the author's bio, Terry Pratchett lives behind a keyboard in Wiltshire and says he 'doesn't want to get a life, because it feels as though he's trying to lead three already'. He was appointed OBE in 1998 and his first Discworld novel for children, "The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents", was awarded the 2001 Carnegie Medal.
"Equal Rites" was published by HarperTorch, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. The ISBN is 0-06-102069-9.
Kit Marsters is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/ which is a site for Writers.
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