You've Got Five Pages, The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd, to Tell Me You're Good

The first chapter can make or break a reader's engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages in order to hook those picky readers, so let's study the stories of others to see how they do it! I wasn't expecting yet another story's opener to be a boss and disgruntled protagonist, but here we are. The first chapter of The Cartographers  by Peng Shepherd is a slow burn, one that uses a lot of exposition to establish the protagonist's knowledge of maps. The opening lines about a famous, ancient map are indeed informative, if nothing else than to prepare us for THE map (as noted on the dust jacket) that sets the story in motion later on. While the interaction between boss and protagonist Nell feels a little cliche', it does allow Nell to think on what "disgraced" her from her more prestigious job, and that intrigue hooks us as readers to desire more about this curious cartographer and whether or not she will ever return to a place of honor in her family or profession. And what will you, fellow creative, learn in the first five pages? Let's find out!