The Last Mapmaker

I am often grateful that people have come up with terms and phrases that so perfectly describe literary tropes and ideas that would otherwise be difficult to define. Take the term “world building”. I don’t have a dictionary in front of me right now, but if I were to hazard a guess as to what it mean......more

In a Nutshell: An interesting story of adventure and coming of age with some magical elements and dark themes thrown in for good measure. Story: 12 year old Sai, the daughter of a conman, pretends to be from a well-bred family to ensure a better future in her job as the assistant to Master Paiyoon, t......more

Sai, 12 years old girl who lives in a land where ancestors are a way to have a place in society. Sai lives with her poor father and learned forgery to help him with other not proper ways of getting money. When finding an assistant job with a famous mapmaker, she has no choice except to hide her fami......more

Christina Soontornvat's other two books are really good. This was a disappointment to me, Sai was a good, but not great protagonist. She is a twelve-year-old, living in poverty, struggling without a mother and a con artist father, who associates with criminals. Sai lucks into a job as an apprentice......more

Down with the snobs! I make a habit of reading the Newbery Medalist and the Newbery Honor books every year. The Last Mapmaker, by Christina Soontornvat is a 2023 Newbery Honor book, and I quite enjoyed it. In her Biography, Soontornvat tells us that she "grew up behind the counter of her parents’ Tha......more