Jackal in the Garden: An Encounter With Bihzad

Art Encounters

by Deborah Ellis

Little is known about the fifteenth-century Persian painter Bizhad--we only know that he worked in what is now Afghanistan and Iran, and that he was the first artist to sign his works. Jackal in the Garden imagines Bizhad as an astoundingly gifted dreamer and contrasts him with a strong female protagonist, Anubis, a girl born disfigured into the harem of her vicious father. She must fight for survival--and her struggle leads her to Bizhad and the artists� colony he leads. Both philosophers, they find common ground. Yet their different attitudes offer a sharp, unusual commentary on life, survival, and art that will resonate with young adult readers seeking their place in the world.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Art

176 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2006

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Deborah Ellis has achieved international acclaim with her courageous and dramatic books that give Western readers a glimpse into the plight of children in developing countries.

She has won the Governor General's Award, Sweden's Peter Pan Prize, the Ruth Schwartz Award, the University of California's Middle East Book Award, the Jane Addams Children's Book Award and the Vicky Metcalf Award.

A long-time feminist and anti-war activist, she is best known for The Breadwinner Trilogy, which has been published around the world in seventeen languages, with more than a million dollars in royalties donated to Street Kids International and to Women for Women, an organization that supports health and education projects in Afghanistan. In 2006, Deb was named to the Order of Ontario.

Reviews

[madeline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simply written. Still, intriguing and boiling with words nonetheless. Many of the statements made by Anubis made me think. And that was good.... Plus, it was a glimpse into the culture of Persia.

[Rlly Cldg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this when I was in 7th grade. I was kind of an edgy kid and though Jackals were cool so I took it from my school's bookshelf. It was a, philisofical, interesting, intelegent, sophisticated, and somehow relatable book. I found my self identifieng with the main character despite being a deformed girl in 1500s Persia. Most female leads in young adult/teen books are kinda lame to me, but this was a cool change of pace. I recomened it for edgy middle schoolers who want to read something proper.

[Josie · Rating 3 out of 5]

More realistic and educational than I thought it'd be, not my typical female-hero-adventure book.

Good read, solid choice for a social studies class dealing with that era (1500s), or a fiction companion to an art class, with perspective on a non-western European culture.

It's in the SCCS library, if you're interested.

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never having read or seen anything about the Persian miniature paintings, I was fascinated with that aspect of the story and would love to be able to view some of these works. The story itself was just average for me, but I bumped it up because of its unusual subject.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had never heard of this artist until I read this novel. I'd love to find a book of his artwork.

[Wes F · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun read that was overall pretty light. A heavier take on some of the same time & subject is Orhan Pamuk's classic called "Red."