Suzanne Fisher StaplesRecensioni

I was convinced by this moving story of a young teenage girl, Shabanu, raised in a nomadic desert family. Her account of her daily life - it's written in the first person - gave me some real insight into her life, and its real differences from 21st century European life. But her emotions as she confronts the marriage choices made for her as circumstances change around her are ones it's easy to identify with too. She has some very hard lessons to learn which are not the kind of lesson it would be palatable for a young western girl to accept. But as her mother warns, 'Shabanu, you are wild as the wind. You must learn to obey. Otherwise . . . I am afraid for you.'

I enjoyed this book, the setting was lovely, the descriptions grand. The character was a little too unreal without a lot of grounding forces. The conflict at the end a bit forced, expected, and too easily resolved.

very good - Katrina

This sequel to Shabanu continues her story of sacrifice and imprisonment.

What a hard life these people live, and more so the women. I do not understand how women can be treated so horribly. Shabanu is loved by her father, and yet he says he'd killer her if she embarrassed the family. And he means that. Literally.

A compelling and wrenching sequel to Shabanu, this novel follows protagonist Shabanu through her married life and challenges of a multi-generational and jealous household in Pakistan.

Frances Foster books

Sequel to Shabanu, Daughter of the Wind

Shabanu, the eleven year old daughter of a camel herder, must sacrifice her dreams for the sake of her family and become the fourth wife of a man older than her father once she comes of age. This first edition of this Contemporary Realistic Fiction, set in the Cholistan Desert of Pakistan, was a Newberry Award Winner in 1990. The first book in the series of three, Shabanu gives some insight for readers into the coming of age for a young girl in the Muslim culture in Southern Asia.

A fascinating and powerful coming-of-age story about a young Muslim girl living in the Cholistan Desert of Pakistan and coming to terms with her upcoming arranged marriage. Recommended.

Suzanne Staples catches the desire of youth, when a girl focuses on one thing: to have her own dog. Once her dream dog finds her, her world opens to new adventures that include her dog. Sharing her dog is hard, when her sister humiliates the dog with dress up. But Suzanne is willing to allow that for the days that she has the dog to hike in the woods and fish with her.
In the back of all her activities, she dreads losing her dog to one wrong move, as judged by her dad.

A light, quick book that captures young hearts desiring a true friend and companion.

Spoiler [I did not like the parents' final decision, seemed abrupt and uncaring.]

For Mumtaz, daughter of Shabanu, life is difficult with her half-sister Leyla, who always hated Shabanu and dislikes Mumtaz in equal measure. But when various surprises and calamities once again rock Mumtaz's extended family, Mumtaz faces a difficult decision.

This third book in the Shabanu series seems to be almost written in a different style from the earlier two, as if the first two were set in the past, or at least in a more remote part of Pakistan, and in ths book the trappings of modernity intrude more. There's also a clear magical or paranormal element to this book (the titular djinn) that was lacking in the earlier books. It's neither better nor worse, just different.

When I went to enter this book into LibraryThing, I discovered that I had, in fact, read it before, seven years ago. I have only the faintest memory of owning the book, and nothing in the plot actually sparked a remembrance. That said, having read the first two books in the series led me to rate this one slightly higher on this reread. So, if you're considering reading this book, I recommend starting with the beginning of the series.

This book picks up five or six years after Shabanu -- this review contains spoilers for that book. We see Shabanu now as the youngest wife of a wealthy older man, raising her young daughter Mumtaz. The first three wives look down on Shabanu, and she fears for her safety and that of Mumtaz. She would also like to see Mumtaz educated, so her future will be more secure. Shabanu's plan is to live at the haveli, her husband's city house, while the government is in session. She can find Mumtaz a tutor there, and they will be safe from the other wives, who prefer to live in a newer and more stylish part of town. But when one of Shabanu's only friends is forced into an arranged marriage even more distasteful than Shabanu's own, plans must need change once again...

I found this a rather stressful read, as Shabanu's life is one of nearly constant anxiety and hidden danger. Of course, this also made for a quick and compelling read. I'm not entirely satisfied with the book's ending, but there is a third book, so I will probably read that one and see if it resolves some of the things I found problematic.½

Shabanu, daughter of a camel herder, has grown up with more freedom than many girls in Pakistan. However, changes are coming for Shabanu. Her older sister is soon to be married, and Shabanu herself is approaching womanhood. When a frightening encounter changes everything for her family, Shabanu must make a difficult choice.

It took me a little while to get into this book, but by the time I was halfway in, I could hardly put it down. I do wonder how accurate it is in its portrayal of the culture it represents.½

Newbery Honor Book, 1990

This books is about a young girl who loses her family to the Taliban. The beginning of the book describes a life that is hard as it was with her family, then she loses them. I love the strength of the main character, Najmah. Her name meant "star" in her country and her father used to tell her the stars would always guide her. I think this character is someone that students would be extremely proud of. I liked this book because it describes an extremely sad situation that has happened to real life people through a children's chapter book. I think this book has excellent content and word choice because it is young yet mature. I am not sure that all children would be able to get through the book without getting emotional, so the teacher would have to be mindful of student's backgrounds. It might be a story that would teacher students not only about what others are going through around the world, but also to be grateful for the peace they live in each day.

In my opinion this is a wonderful chapter book. I liked this book for 3 reasons. First, Suzanne Fisher Staples uses descriptive language throughout the whole chapter book. The sentence "the pads of his feet are nearly worn off, and his toenails are ground down to bloody little stubs", is an example of descriptive language used in the book. When reading the descriptive sentence I am able to imagine in my head the shape that the dog’s paws were in at this point of the story. Second, the writing is engaging. Suzanne, the main character, wishes for a dog that she cannot have due to her brother’s allergies, but one day she finds the exact dog she dreams about hurt in the median strip of a highway. The book engages readers to keep reading to see what happens to the hurt dog and if Suzanne gets to keep her wish. Lastly, the book pushes readers to think about others. Suzanne spent most of her time thinking about how much she wanted Jeff the dog, rather than what was best for Jeff and his well-being. The big idea of the story is that an undesirable choice for you could very well be what is best for others. Suzanne's parents had to make a choice for Jeff that she did not quite understand: stay cooped up in a house, or be free on a farm. After analyzing the title, I found that green can represent nature. At the end of the story, Jeff the dog finds himself at a new home- a farm including a much greater amount of land for running and playing compared to his previous home.

Parvati’s birth coincides with the day of her father’s tragic death by trampling elephants, the first day of a monsoon that cripples the village for years, and the sudden illness of the Rama’s son. Her aunt and the rest of the villagers regard her with suspicion and resentment. Her differences only isolate her further: she has a way of communicating with animals, staring into people’s eyes as if reading their souls, and a talent for dancing. When she is 9 or 10, a guru of Indian classical dance recognizes Parvati’s talent and asks her mother to let her live and be trained in dance at the gurukulam. It is over a year before Parvati returns home in triumph to perform at the Rama’s palace. While there she meets the son of the Rama and finds they share unique and unexplained differences.

During the Afghan war and fall of the Taliban rule the lives of a shepherd girl intertwine with that of an American woman. Najmah has lived a simple life with her family, helping tend the animals and garden. Then her father and brother are forcefully conscripted into the war by the Taliban. Later, bombing destroys Namjah's home, killing her mother and baby brother. She escapes, disguised as a boy, with the friends of a neighbor. Elaine, now Nusrat, is married to an Afghan doctor. She relocated with him to his country so he could help out at a hospital during the war. She has not heard from him for many months. In the meantime, she teaches war refugee children at her home and visits her in-laws. Eventually Najmah is brought to Nusrat's little school. Nusrat learns that Najmah is really a girl, without her family and alone among the dangers of the war and the Taliban. She takes in Najmah to live with her until they can figure out what to do.

Somehow, not as compelling for me as "Shabanu" and "Haveli" were. Still, the concept of tribal leadership and family politics will intrigue readers not familiar with this culture. The ending ensures an interesting sequel about young leadership making changes in a traditional world.

This is the sequel to Newbery Honor nominee "Shabanu". Both stories are about family tribal tradition, love, desire, greed, revenge, & refuge in a small village in Pakistan.

This particular book is about Shabanu's daughter, Mumtaz, who has been living with relatives, believing that her mother is dead. Although loved by the majority of the family, Mumtaz is treated particularly like a servant by her Uncle's wife.

Mumtaz's one refuge is summers spent with her best friend & cousin Jameel (who lives in San Francisco). When Baba, the head of the family passes, he passes on the leadership of the family to Jameel with the announcement that it has been arranged for Jameel & Mumtaz to marry....

I found this to be a very engaging read, one which I finished almost immediately, and I might have waited longer to read it but it was due back to the library and I was unable to renew it as there are others waiting.

Suzanne Fisher Staples is a local author, by which I mean she lives within 25 or 30 miles of me, by very familiar back roads. She plans an annual symposium called The Gathering at Keystone College in LaPlume, PA. She writes for "young readers", but as a former reporter based in Pakistan, Afghanistan and India, she covered a lot of difficult territory and now uses her knowledge of the region and its varied cultures to create engaging and informative fiction that appeals to adults as well. In Under the Persimmon Tree she gives us two main characters, Najmah, a twelve year old Afghani girl orphaned by war in post-9/11 Afghanistan, who travels, sometimes alone and disguised as a boy, to a refugee camp across the border in Peshawar, Pakistan; and Nusrat, an American woman who converted to Islam and traveled to her husband's homeland of Pakistan with him on a humanitarian mission. Nusrat teaches refugee children in the garden of her home outside Peshawar, while she waits for word from her husband, a doctor who has gone into the war zones to provide medical assistance in field clinics. Naturally, we anticipate an intersection of the lives of these two characters, whose stories are written in alternating chapters. Najmah's journey is told to us in her voice, in first person, in the present tense. Nusrat's story comes to us from her point of view, but in the third person, also in the present tense. I suppose the author felt the difference would make it easier for young readers to make the shift from chapter to chapter, but I didn't care for that aspect of the book. I'm not a fan of present tense, either. But there is excellence in this story; there is insight into Muslim daily life; into the impact of generations of war on people whose lives are mostly about survival, no matter who holds power; and about the simple acts of kindness and generosity that can bring about healing and growth. The ending feels inevitable, but not totally predictable. I enjoyed it, even though there were spots where the "informative" part was a little too obvious.
Review written in November 2015½

Dual stories of a young Afghani refugee (from the Taliban) girl and the American wife of an Afghani doctor, set in Peshawar, Pakistan. Interesting, especially the perspective of the American who is a convert to Islam.
Personal copy.½

I read this book as a young girl and was immediately enraptured with Shabanu and her family. This is a wonderful coming of age story of a young Pakistani girl and her nomadic family. Shabanu is a young girl that is used to the freedom that her youth allows her. However, she is coming to the point in her life where she is expected to act more womanly, which means demure, modest and effectively unseen. She is not ready for this and her rebellious nature starts to get in her in big trouble.

This story is great for young girls that are themselves growing into womanhood. It is a great way for them to see what girls go through in other cultures. I have used with girls I mentor (13-18 years old) and my own daughters (16 & 13). All of them found it an easy and enjoyable read. If you have a girl that is transitioning into womanhood and needs to gain a little perspective about life, this is the book for her.

I liked the book quite a bit... right up until the last two or three chapters. In part, I wasn't entirely happy with the ending (I hated the way it worked out)... but I think that the bigger issue that I had was the abruptness of the ending, and the fact that we didn't see anything beyond that point. I was honestly reminded in the last few paragraphs of Harlan Ellison's "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream"... for a book that had up until that point balanced it's lessons of consequences for one's actions with love and hope, it seemed to abandon all of those things at the most important moment.