Source of book: Audiobook from the library
I decided at the last minute to
find an audiobook for our long weekend camping trip, and happened to notice
this one in the “available now” list. Throughout my kids’ childhoods, I have
tried to go through some of the more modern Newbery award and honor books -
books I would not have read as a child because, well, they technically weren’t
written. And also some of the older Newbery’s that I loved as a kid.
The Last Mapmaker was named
a 2023 Newbery Honor book. It is sometimes listed as YA, but I think it is
really more of a children’s book.
In any case, I thought it was
good, and can recommend it.
The book is fantasy, but with
perhaps a bit of grounding in our own world. It takes place somewhere not
entirely unlike Earth, during the equivalent of our Age of Exploration.
(European exploration, to be accurate….) There is a great colonial power, modeled
loosely on Thailand, (the author is Thai-American), that has just conquered a
bunch of third-world places, and is now setting out to find a “lost” continent
located somewhere in a mysterious sea near the south pole. And also, “here be
dragons,” like the old maps.
The world that the author builds
is interesting. In a huge contrast to our own, in the book’s world, gender
equality is a given. Not only is the country a Queendom, top generals and
soldiers are female, ship captains are as likely to be female as male, and
one’s gender indeed seems to play no role in one’s social opportunities.
Instead, what matters is class.
Social status is rigid, with opportunities for education and careers reserved
for those with ancestry. Sure, if you get enough money, you might buy a degree,
but where would you get it?
Social status is signaled in the
usual ways - language, literacy, social niceties, names, and so on. But also by
actual signals, in the form of decorative chains issued by the government,
called Lineals, with a link for each respectable ancestor. Kind of a visible
sumptuary sort of idea.
I just finished reading The
Seven Basic Plots by Christopher Booker - stay tuned for what will be a
long writeup of that very long book - and I see elements of three of the plots
in this story. There is definitely the “voyage and return” and “the quest,” but
also arguably a bit of “rags to riches.”
So definitely expect a very
traditional story form and idea. But not a traditional approach.
Sai is a 12-year-old girl who has
disguised her identity in order to rise in social class. Born to a lower-class
con artist who resides in the fens (which means the same thing as in our
world…), she has changed her name, and gotten a job working as an assistant to
a master mapmaker, Paiyoon. This has allowed her to secretly save some money
that she doesn’t have to turn over to her father. She’s getting tired of having
to help him with his schemes, and wants a better life.
She may not have social status,
but she does have one thing: she is really, really good at copying things using
a classic ink pen. That’s how she ended up getting the mapmaking gig. But also,
the line between copying and forgery is…a bit fine. And her dad has used this
skill before.
Then, the opportunity of a
lifetime presents itself. The queen has commissioned all those naval ships left
over from the recently concluded war of conquest to go explore the southern
hemisphere, where there is a rumor of an unknown continent (well, unknown to
the colonizers - there are undoubtedly people already living there.) Prizes
will be paid: either a Lineal of Honor or cash, as desired.
Sai is asked to come along with
Paiyoon, who has managed to get a place on a prestigious ship, despite his age,
by pulling some strings. The problem for him? His increasing hand tremors. The
medicine which keeps them under control has a limited shelf life.
The perfect solution to his
problem is Sai, who can imitate his style in drawing maps and in the
script.
First, however, she has to get
away from her father.
I will end there without further
spoilers if I can help it. Most of the book is about the voyage, which has
increasing peril and drama as it goes on.
The book will explore issues of
class and colonialism in a nuanced (but age appropriate) way. Sai will meet a
variety of characters - Sangra, the captain of the ship; her illegitimate
half-sister Rian, who may well be the equivalent of Edmund in King Lear;
Bo, the young pickpocket and stowaway with a mysterious past; Grebe, the young
sailor who, like Sai, is trying to rise above his background.
Nobody is entirely who they seem,
of course. Do not expect any “the poor are noble, the rich are corrupt,” but
also do not expect its opposite. The characters are complex, and it is not
clear where the truth actually lies.
For Sai, as she comes of age, she
has to learn to evaluate character, not mere charisma. She must also come to
terms with her own lack of status, her ambition, and her own prejudices.
Because this is fantasy, there are
some arguably unrealistic parts to the story. Anyone who loves seafaring
stories will note that the seamanship, although not badly written, is very
simplistic. This is no Treasure
Island, let alone Patrick
O’Brian. The ending has a bit of the deux ex machina going on.
But overall, an enjoyable story,
with the psychology handled well. The characters are nuanced and compelling,
and Sai is an interesting protagonist, with her own flaws and ethical lapses.
The book does make you think about the ethical dilemmas of the Age of
Exploration. As a scientist, explorer, or mapmaker, what is your responsibility
for the brutal conquest, enslavement, and colonization that came after? Is it
enough to say “someone else would have done it anyway”?
I should also mention that this is
a delightfully romance-free book. It not only passes the Bechdel Test with flying
colors, there are multiple female characters whose character arcs have either
nothing to do with romance, or for whom the romance was in the distant past.
Both male and female characters have lives outside of sexual pairing. In the
case of books with female protagonists, it is refreshing to read ones where an
eventual marriage isn’t the goal.
Oh, and one last thing: this book
is full of swearing. But not like you think. There is a character with a
really blue mouth, but since this is an alternate universe, the swears are all
the usual meanings, but different words. “Tripe” features prominently, as do
buzzards and their cloacas. You might have to break out a dictionary to get
some of the references. I thought this was a hilarious and creative way handle
the language. Because you know these characters swear, but nobody really
wants a bunch of Saxon physiological monosyllables in a kids’ book, right?
Soontornvat is an interesting
new(ish) voice in the children’s book world, and I find her perspective to be
unique and helpful. I would recommend checking out this book.
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