One of the wonderful things about touring around in rental cars on the weekend like a visitor to a strange land, is listening to audiobooks. I drive two and a half hours to my father’s house and the time flies by in this amazing alternate universe. Terry Pratchett reminds me of Douglas Adams, my first British satiric science fiction love.
The premise of this book: alternate universe around the time of the publication of Origin of the Species. A young man from a remote tropical island is the only survivor from his Nation of a terrible tsunami. After he buries the dead he discovers he is not alone. There is a sole survivor of shipwrecked British vessel on his island as well. She is an aristocrat and in the way of the time has been taught nothing even remotely useful.
In one of the best early scenes, Daphne, the young woman, is trying to figure out if the corpse of the captain of the ship she was on can serve as a chaperone when she invites the young man to tea on the ruined ship, although neither of them can understand a thing the other says.
The book is a rollicking good time, funny, heartfelt, with a strong plot but also fine characters. Stephen Briggs gives each one their own true voice.
It is also a meditation on grief, nationhood, god, self, the demons of depression, science and religion, imperialism, nature, and generally doing what needs to be done. Highly recommended.
