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 fam...
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Feb 08, 2008
Jessica
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An amazing look at the life of a Pakistani girl who has grown up in the desert. When she reaches marriageable age, content with the knowledge that she will marry one of her cousins, family tragedy and upheaval leads to her being used as a bargaining chip to settle a feud. The author lived among the camel-herding people of Pakistan for several years, and bases her characters on real people she knows.
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Jan 17, 2010
Diane
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A surprisingly affecting and well written book. I rarely read young adult fiction, but my daughter recommended this one, and I felt I was long overdue to read some more books about Arab or Islamic culture – especially women in the Arab/Islamic world.(My other books include Palace Walk and Reading Lolita in Tehran).
This is the story of a young nomadic girl from the Cholistan Desert on the Pakistan side of the India-Pakistan border. The picture of life in a nomadic society is well d More...
This is the story of a young nomadic girl from the Cholistan Desert on the Pakistan side of the India-Pakistan border. The picture of life in a nomadic society is well d More...
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Oct 14, 2007
Shelley
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week 7
This took me awhile to get into. It was, at the start, very choppy and full of vignettes, rather than a cohesive story. Once they finally got to the story, it was difficult mainly because here was this bright and intelligent and promising 11 year old girl getting sold off to a 50 year old man who was in love with her, to be his fourth wife, so her older sister could marry the man Shabanu had originally been meant to marry. At that point, it wasn't even the ages, because that's More...
This took me awhile to get into. It was, at the start, very choppy and full of vignettes, rather than a cohesive story. Once they finally got to the story, it was difficult mainly because here was this bright and intelligent and promising 11 year old girl getting sold off to a 50 year old man who was in love with her, to be his fourth wife, so her older sister could marry the man Shabanu had originally been meant to marry. At that point, it wasn't even the ages, because that's More...
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Jul 14, 2011
Daryl
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I find this a very insightful novel about the lives of rural women in Pakistan, especially the girl children and the limited choices/freedom they have.
But then it is not just the negative images but also the positive images that have caused my throat to lump and my eyes to mist. For one, the warmth and wisdom of women can be reflected in the stillness of camels continuing "to ruminate with their eyes shut, content as old women in front of a fire.” I believe the image of women More...
But then it is not just the negative images but also the positive images that have caused my throat to lump and my eyes to mist. For one, the warmth and wisdom of women can be reflected in the stillness of camels continuing "to ruminate with their eyes shut, content as old women in front of a fire.” I believe the image of women More...
Jun 16, 2011
Becky
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I will admit that I had a really hard time getting into it. The pace was extremely slow until about page 150, when the action started. I also wonder if American teenagers would really be able to relate in any way to this book. Though some might be able to make the connection of Shabanu's desire for freedom to their own lives, so many of the details seemed a little difficult to relate to. After all, we're talking about a culture where girls get married as soon as they get their first period More...
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Apr 02, 2011
Anstjfla
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This book is about a young girl named Shabanu living in the desert areas of Pakistan. She lives with her sister, Phulan, and her parents and grandfather, leading a nomadic life caring for camels. The title of this book, Daughter of the wind, describes Shabanu herself. But this book is not about freedom. It is more like the restricted life of women in the Islamic region and strong females that withstand all. In the end, Shabanu is to marry a man of 50 to let Phulan, her older sister marry whom sh
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Mar 04, 2011
Pikachu
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Shabanu is a young Pakistani girl who is part of a family of people who raise camels. The plot of the story revolves around getting ready for the wedding of her beautiful older sister, Phulan. Unlike her sister, Shabanu resents being thrust into adulthood so early, and is reluctant to get married and let herself be "owned" by a man. Since she is the youngest, and lives in the isolated desert, her free-spirited ways are tolerated more, and she has been allowed to run wild.
Al More...
Al More...
Feb 14, 2011
Kate
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Feb 04, 2011
Vanessa
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May 18, 2010
Al_ryanleagre
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Shabanu is the story of a desert family and their struggles to endure life in an arid, dangerous world. Shabanu and her sister Phulan have reached the ripe age where they can now be married to men, but their marriages are pre-arranged. Most of the story focuses on Phulan's upcoming marriage, all the while suriving the challanges of the desert. They are a nomadic people, and are forced to travel whenever the rain stops providing for them. All is normal until tragedy strikes the family, and Sh
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Apr 06, 2011
Chelsie
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Shabanu is a girl of the desert. She and her family raise camel. It is a simple life, but one that brings her happiness. Her sister is betrothed and will soon wed. Shabanu is to marry the brother of her sister's soon to be husband. Although she and her sister don't exactly see eye to eye, it will be nice to be able to have family in her new home when she comes of age. Life is simple. Until there is a confrontation and her sister's fiancé is killed. Her sister then marries the man, really a boy s
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Feb 25, 2010
Ch_jank-caporale
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Shabanu is the youngest of two daughters in a family that raises camels in the deserts of Pakistan. She and her older sister Phulan are both betrothed to distant cousins who own land far away from their parents. Unlike Phulan, Shabanu is independent and strong-willed; her parents worry that she will not become a proper wife and feel she must learn to obey and to hold her tongue. Accepting her duty to her family is essential if she is to have a place in it. But just as she accepts her role, some
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May 05, 2010
Winddancer
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This book was frustrating for me to read and I didn’t really enjoy it. I went to high school with someone who was from Pakistan, and she told me much of what her culture was like. It boggled my mind that she willingly accepted her father’s beatings and that she was perfectly okay with marrying the man her family picked for her. At 15, I didn’t even know if I wanted to get married, and here she was talking about the sons she would have.
Reading this book was very similar to talking with More...
Reading this book was very similar to talking with More...
Dec 08, 2011
Erin
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Shabanu Daughter of the Wind
By Suzanne Fischer Staples
One of the things it is important to do as an educated teen is to learn about cultures other than your own. Knowing about the way other people live makes you more empathetic, or understanding, of those who don't look like you in the mirror, and a better human being over all. Shabanu Daughter of the Wind, by Suzanne Fischer Staples is one of those books that will expand your horizons, help you to relate to others, and is simply a More...
By Suzanne Fischer Staples
One of the things it is important to do as an educated teen is to learn about cultures other than your own. Knowing about the way other people live makes you more empathetic, or understanding, of those who don't look like you in the mirror, and a better human being over all. Shabanu Daughter of the Wind, by Suzanne Fischer Staples is one of those books that will expand your horizons, help you to relate to others, and is simply a More...
Feb 01, 2012
Roger
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Suzanne Fisher Staples creates a lasing piece of YA fiction with Shabanu, Daughter of the Wind. The character of Shabanu is well-developed and portrayed. She has a feisty, independent spirit that gets her into trouble as she can be defiant and disobedient, very dangerous characteristics for a woman in her Middle Eastern culture. The book has many well-constructed characters, all of whom Staples places within a story with escalating conflict. The reader learns about the lifestyle of the culture,
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Dec 21, 2011
Cosmic
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I was completely spellbound by this book. It is well written and beautiful, and the setting and characters are described so well that I really felt like I was in the Pakistani desert. My heart wrenched for Shabanu and her family, and my emotions just flew with the story. This is a young adult book, but I read it as an adult and was still very happy with it.
At the end, I was left wondering what would happen. It gripped me and kept me turning pages so that I read it in three days. This b More...
At the end, I was left wondering what would happen. It gripped me and kept me turning pages so that I read it in three days. This b More...
Apr 19, 2009
Cindy
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Feb 17, 2011
Brooke
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Mar 01, 2010
Carol
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Year Published: 1989
Awards: Newbery Honor
Age Level: high school-adult
This story was about a girl living in the deserts of Pakistan. She must choose between her sister and freedom. As young girls, both her and her sister are bequeathed in marriage to distant cousins that are brothers. Throughout the story you learn from Shabanu's point of view. She is not into obeying the rules just because. She has questions about it, but because she is a girl, she is not really enti More...
Awards: Newbery Honor
Age Level: high school-adult
This story was about a girl living in the deserts of Pakistan. She must choose between her sister and freedom. As young girls, both her and her sister are bequeathed in marriage to distant cousins that are brothers. Throughout the story you learn from Shabanu's point of view. She is not into obeying the rules just because. She has questions about it, but because she is a girl, she is not really enti More...
Dec 09, 2010
Ashley
rated it:
I really liked this book, though right after I read it, i was rather heartbroken and upset. I cried at the end. But don't let that stop you from reading it because this is a book that really makes you feel rather than just read. At first, I wasn't really sure if i liked it or not because it affected me in what I initially thought was a negative way, but a little after I finished it, I realized that I really did like it. One thing: even though Shabanu is 12-years-old and so this book is supposedl
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May 25, 2010
Ezra
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I give this book a five on different terms that no author I have ever known has ever tried to do so well. The reason this book was so fantastic was because of Staples use of intertwined cultures, emotions and fiction. It was a story so fake but so real. It made me smile, laugh, almost cry and more. Staples also accomplished making the readers want to be there at scenes and feel what the characters felt. I loved loved loved this book because it was unique. A story I had never heard before and I r
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Nov 25, 2009
Tina
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Shabanu is the daughter of nomadic Muslim Pakistanis. The story tells her coming of age and conflicting feelings about her approaching arranged marriage. It's well written and an interesting story. However I felt it was a little less credible because it is written by an American woman. She did spend a lot of time in this part of the world, with women just like Shabanu. Still, I personally prefer to read books written by women who actually live the experience themselves. How can a white American
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Dec 13, 2010
Marty
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I love this book. I like reading about other cultures, and this one is an excellent way to experience the culture of a wandering desert tribe in Pakistan. It's very interesting to see what life is like, especially for the women, of that region. The author uses real-life stories that she gathered from women in Pakistan in the book, so you know that the description of the culture is accurate. I read this book about 5 years ago, and just now re-read it (and Haveli) because I just discovered that th
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Nov 21, 2008
Jody
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This is one of those books that I thought was SOOOOO GOOOOOD....when I was 12. I'm afraid to read it again, as my taste has probably changed since then. I like keeping in my childhood capsule of memory- untarnished and stil favored. You know what I'm talking about. I watched Flight of the Navigator the a few years back. I was SOOOOO GOOOOD, too. Uh, no. Lame, annoying and I'll never watch it again. I should have left well enough alone.
Though, if memory serves, I think it gives a fair More...
Though, if memory serves, I think it gives a fair More...
Feb 04, 2011
Megan
rated it:
One more I read in middle school, haven't read since, and still remember vividly. I struggle often to give books an "I really liked it" rating if they didn't end happily, and even though I know this about myself, I feel like I owe these harder, un-perfect-endings books something more. This book falls into that category. It deals with misogyny, powerlessness of a child, family culture in the middle east, (mis)treatment of animals, and so much more. I feel like I could use some serious d
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Oct 06, 2009
Catherine
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At first I thought this was an historical novel about the ancient days in Pakistan. Shabanu and her family live a nomadic life in the Pakistan desert but then when they travel, they meet up with jeeps and motorcycles -- only their lifestyle is still rooted in the ancient past. Shabanu has a sense of impending doom as her sister prepares for the marriage that has been arranged for her, and Shabanu's own arranged marriage will take place the following year. I also had a feeling of impending doo
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Jun 12, 2010
Kristy
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I learned that it is great to be from Canada where you can choose the man you marry. And not have that man you are to marry, taken away from you by your Father giving him to your sister. Shabanu, I have mixed emotions for her. She tries to be all tough and headstrong, yet she really isn't. And I'm going to chalk that up to me not fully grasping the culture of being that marginalized and having no voice at all. They teach you the art of submission. So, I guess it would be very hard to overco
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Aug 20, 2009
Kara
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This story was definately engaging, but perhaps a bit simplisitic...or lacking certain depth (perhaps because it is intended for a younger audience??). It also felt like I was reading a coming-of-age story written by an outsider...someone who grew up in America/'the west' rather than someone who actualy lived this experience (which may explain the lack of 'depth' thing). So, I hesitate to recommend this book because I'm not sure it provides a truly well-rounded and open perspective on the comple
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Jan 09, 2009
Rachel
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This book is located in the juvenile section of many libraries, but it may be more appropriate for young adults and even adults in my opinion. It is a good book to recommend to your more mature young readers. The book is set around a young girl in Pakistan who lives a nomadic life. The beginning of the book is a little slow moving, but it becomes more dramatic as the story continues. It really makes you empathize with a culture where girls are forced to grow up quickly and marry young. My h
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Apr 15, 2009
Oh my goodness, I really disliked this book. I never really caught on while reading it. It was one of those books that you just have to keep reading even though you're not paying attention to what you're reading. I found myself always rereading multiple pages because I wasn't able to comprehend at all. I wouldn't reccomend it to anyone. For me, I think it was especially hard to connect with Shabanu and the other characters as well because I wasn't able to find a situation that was near to simila
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