| Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind (Readers Circle) |  | Author: Suzanne Fisher Staples
Publisher: Laurel Leaf
Category: Book
List Price: $6.99
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Seller: gr8lakesbooks1
Rating:  225 reviews
Sales Rank: 147,157
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Reading Level: Young Adult
Pages: 288
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 6.8 x 4.1 x 0.9
ISBN: 0440238560
EAN: 9780440238560
ASIN: 0440238560
Publication Date: August 12, 2003
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| | ISBN13: 9780440238560 | | | Condition: NEW | | | Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark. |
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Product Description
Life is both sweet and cruel to strong-willed young Shabanu, whose home is the windswept Cholistan Desert of Pakistan. The second daughter in a family with no sons, she’s been allowed freedoms forbidden to most Muslim girls. But when a tragic encounter with a wealthy and powerful landowner ruins the marriage plans of her older sister, Shabanu is called upon to sacrifice everything she’s dreamed of. Should she do what is necessary to uphold her family’s honor—or listen to the stirrings of her own heart?
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 225
Beautifully written and bittersweet... August 17, 2004
NY film buff (New York, NY)
16 out of 16 found this review helpful
This sensitively-written, bittersweet coming-of-age story is set in the Cholistan desert of present day Pakistan. Shabanu, the second daughter in a family of camel-herding nomads, is forced to curb her independent spirit and adopt the traditional Muslim tenets of behavior practiced by her people, yet her family is also warm, protective, and deeply loving. At the age of twelve Shabanu is already engaged to be married to a young cousin she barely knows, but during a visit to the farmlands on the edge of the desert, where her older sister's wedding is about to be held, a violent event shatters the prospects of the whole family. Problems are resolved, but with one tragic result: Shabanu's parents must terminate the engagement to her cousin and promise her to a landowner old enough to be her father. In the end, Shabanu draws on reserves of inner strength to come to a decision about her future. The conclusion leaves the door open for a sequel (the equally moving "Haveli," written in the third person rather than the first person narration of "Shabanu"). This novel, which is now required reading in some middle school humanities classes, is educational and enjoyable, with subject matter suitable for readers 11 and up. (Some references to child marriage and sexuality may be difficult for younger readers to understand.) The characters of Shabanu's parents and other relatives are richly drawn, with an avoidance of the stereotyping often applied to Muslims and traditional Islam.
 They call the wind Shabanu September 17, 2004
E. R. Bird (Manhattan, NY)
19 out of 23 found this review helpful
I imagine that had I been assigned "Shabanu" in school (say, Junior High or High School) I would have loathed it intensely. Please don't misunderstand this statement. Having read this book on my own I've found it to be infinitely interesting, deep, and touching. Author Suzanne Fisher Staples has written a book that every kid should WANT to read. The problem is, if a child does not want to read it, this book must be incredibly painful to get through. At its best "Shabanu" conjures up a world that few Americans have ever witnessed firsthand. If you think you know an adolescent that could understand "Shabanu"'s understated beauty, definitely consider buying it for them. But please don't make this book required reading. Forcing people to read this tale is the perfect way to make it widely despised.
In the Cholistan Desert of Pakistan lives a family of desert dwellers. Daughters Phulan and Shabanu attend their family's camels alongside their father, mother, grandfather, aunt, and young male cousins. Life in the desert can be difficult, but Shabanu wouldn't have it any other way. She loves tending the camels alongside her father. With her older sister's impending marriage coming up, Shabanu knows that soon her little family will be torn apart. Most of the book concentrates on what it means to live in the Cholistan, often at the mercy of the duststorms and monsoons that help or hurt the region. It isn't until page 191 that the real drama of the book comes into play. When a tragedy hurts Phulan's potential husband, it's up to Shabanu to sacrifice herself for the good of the family. The question becomes, will she do it?
First of all, in spite of its Newbery Honor Award, this book probably should have received a Printz Award instead for young adult literature. Unless the kids that read through this puppy understand what rape and sex are, they're going to get a little confused with the plot. Best to recommend this book to those kids from sixth grade onwards. I was a little amazed by how gutsy author Staples was with this small novel. This isn't "Catherine Called Birdy", though at first glance the plots may seem similar. For Shabanu, her choices in life are severely limited. But Staples isn't pointing to the people who perpetuate child marriages and limited female freedoms crying, "Evil!". This is a balanced portrait of a culture entirely unlike our own, yet with significant similarities. What's so impressive is that Staples is able to give us a greater understanding of Shabanu's world. It comes to the point where you realize that Shabanu's fury at her position in life is impossible to shift from.
But as I was saying before, never ever assign this book in a classroom. Some children's books are custom made for class discussions. "Holes" by Louis Sacher, for instance. "Shabanu" is incredibly well written and thought out. But all the beauty of the text is completely reliant on the reader's willing participation. If a kid is forced to read this book they're going to be bored. They'll think the book is slow moving and not exciting in the least. This is not necessarily the case, if you stick with it. Still, I urge you to assign it only to those kids who are comfortable reading books that are filled with descriptions and long passages without dialogue. "Shabanu" is a beautiful piece of work. And there is no better way to ruin the experience of reading it than by forcing kids to do so.
What a fantastic Book! December 1, 1998
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
11-year old Shabanu is the youngest child in her family living in the Cholistan desert in Pakistan. She has a difficult life, and she is forced to marry as soon as she becomes a woman. Her life changes forever when she is forced to marry a 55 year old man! This book describes the lifestyle of a young girl growing up in Pakistan. The characters are well developed and the story line is full of excitement and adventure. The different culture in this book is a good thing for young people to learn about. It has happy parts and sad parts, and put together, it makes a excellent book. I think that this book is more suitable for mature readers, as a lot of people at this site gave it two stars or less. I personally think it is one of the best books I have read, and I think it well deserved the Newbery Honor. Now I'm going to read the sequel!
Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind review Eng. Assignment, pd. 3 October 25, 2002
Muneeza (Herndon. VA. USA)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind, a book written by Suzanne Fisher Staples, tells the story of a strong-willed twelve year old girl brought up in a very close family of traveling camel herders called the Desert People, from the Cholistan desert in Pakistan. In her household she lives with her thirteen year old sister Phulan, whose beauty she admires and looks up to as well, her mother and father, her grandfather, one aunt and her two young sons. She benefits from being the youngest in a family with two daughters and also gets more freedom than most other girls her age. The calmness of the desert pleases Shabanu and she loves to take care of her camels and not be tied down with housework. In spite of this, Shabanu knows that she is approaching a marriageable age and is aware that this freedom of hers will soon be taken away and the importance on housework and obedience will be enhanced. Shabanu wants things for her to be unlike from other girls. However she is very loyal to her family and deals with her life as best as she can.
Phulan and Shabanu are both engaged for marriage to two brothers Hamir and Murad. Phulan is to be married to Hamir in the next few months and Shabanu in the coming year. As everyone is preparing for Phulan's wedding...BR>This is a very good account of a girl who is realizing what it means to be a woman in the culture of the Desert People of Pakistan, in which it seems a woman must sacrifice at any means. Also it tests how loyal a girl can be to her family so that they can keep their pride and honor. This would be a good recommendation for girls from the ages of thirteen and up, because it goes in depth of a girls feelings so well. Overall it is a very enjoyable book to read and see how life for the people in the desert is.
Spirtually inspiring August 25, 2001
Anne Marie Parris (Houston, Tx)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
...I read this book a little over a year ago and i fell in love with it. I have read it to pieces and have bought 3 new compies in the past year. This book happens to be very adventurous and awe inspiring. Its about a musilm girl, Shabanu, who is 11 at the beginning of her story. She and her sister Phulan , 13, live in the Cholistian Desert along th Border of Pacistan with the mother, father, , grandfather, aunt, and younger cousins as camel "farmers". They live in anyplace in the desert that happend to have water untill the monsoons come. Shabanu is interested in everything except "ladies" work. She and her sister are betrothed to thier cousins Murad and Hamir. But when her Mother tries to teach Shabanu womens work, Shabanu's sister catches on but Shabanu has more fun playing with the camels and running around in the beautiful desert sand. When a something tragic happens between her family and her landowner, her family is put with a desicion that will change evrything in everyones life. Shabanu, daughter of the wind, is one of the best books i've ever read .... I feel at least evryone who loves an uplifting, tear jerker will love this book and its sequal, Havali. Suzanne Fisher Stapeles happens to be a wonderful author. i love her other book Shiva's fire. All her stories and books are very uplifing and make you feel godd when you read them. YOU REALLY SHOULD READ THIS!!! thank you.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 225
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