A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett

Book Review
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Book Review
Summary
In this book, Pratchett (2004) tells the tale of Tiffany Aching, a young girl who leaves her home to pursue a career as a witch. She trains under the mentorship of Miss Level. However, she quickly attracts the attention of a disembodied ancient evil, the Hiver. The Hiver is attracted to powerful sorcerers and usually takes over their minds and bodies, killing them in the process. On the verge of adolescence, Tiffany is more body-conscious and steps out of her body, leaving it empty. This leaves her vulnerable to attacks by the Hiver, and she finally becomes its victim. Tiffany has to fight for her life because not even her powerful allies, including the greatest witch in the world, Miss Weatherwax, can save her.
Evaluation of Ideas
Pratchett (2004) explores some powerful themes that can be applied in modern-day leadership. They include power, responsibility, choices, empathy, self-identity, and growth. The author explores these themes through the book's main character and other supporting acts. It is interesting to see how Tiffany's life goes full circle and how these themes manifest in her journey of self-discovery and realization. Some ideas in the book are beneficial and can be applied to a local church setting, while others are not as helpful.
Most Helpful Ideas
One of the most helpful ideas from the book is the pursuit of knowledge and excellence. Tiffany had done serious magic before and even won a reward from the greatest witch in the world for it. But she did not have enough knowledge about magic. She was told that as a witch, she "had to know how to stand apart," and she needed to find out more (p.11). So, rather than sit on her talent, Tiffany left home to learn about being a witch under the mentorship of an older witch. Even though this did not work out as she had expected, she took the first step to pursue knowledge and grow her talent, and she realized just how powerful she was. As a leader in a church setting, I can imagine how I would want to sit in my victory after being recognized by one of the most outstanding leaders in the world. I would probably be very proud of myself for being a leader and being recognized as one by a prominent leader. But the book teaches me that I need to constantly pursue more knowledge to perfect my leadership skills and become a powerful and impactful leader. Rather than sit in the glory, the idea of seeking knowledge teaches me that I should be more willing to learn from other leaders who have come before me, even if they have never been recognized by the greatest leader in the world. This is the only way I can truly realize my potential.
Another helpful idea was showing empathy, even to those you think are undeserving. Tiffany empathized with the Hiver, even though the whole worl...