Zahrah the Windseeker [Hardcover]

Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

In the northern Ooni Kingdom, fear of the unknown runs deep, and children born dada are rumored to have special powers. Thirteen-year-old Zahrah Tsami feels like a normal girl—she grows her own flora computer, has mirrors sewn onto her clothes, and stays clear of the Forbidden Greeny Jungle. But unlike other children in the village of Kirki, Zahrah was born with the telling dadalocks. Only her best friend, Dari, isn’t afraid of her, even when something unusual begins happening—something that definitely makes Zahrah different. The two friends determine to investigate, edging closer and closer to danger. When Dari’s life is threatened, Zahrah must face her worst fears alone, including the very thing that makes her different.

In this exciting debut novel by Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu, things aren’t always what they seem—monkeys tell fortunes, plants offer wisdom, and a teenage girl is the only one who stands a chance at saving her best friend’s life.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-7–Zahrah was born with dadalocks–dreadlocks containing living vines. Although she lives in a world in which nature provides everything (even computers grow from seeds), being dada is cause for scorn. Then she discovers that it also means that she can call the wind and fly. She and her friend Dari enter the Forbidden Greeny Jungle that borders their kingdom to explore her powers, but when he is bitten by a poisonous snake, Zahrah must set off alone in search of an elgort egg to save him. Her adventures are full of encounters with talking animals and peril; unfortunately, the excitement is dulled because readers know that everything will be fine from the start. References to Alice in Wonderearth abound (to Zahrah, Earth is a legend), and some of her journey (particularly advice received from a pink frog reminiscent of the Cheshire Cat) seems like an attempt to create an Africa-infused Alice tale. There are also nods to Douglas Adams's The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (S & S, 1981) that are unlikely to resonate with the intended audience. The world-building is interesting, and Zahrah's journey to self-acceptance is obvious but satisfying; the important theme of exploring, rather than fearing, the unknown is heavy-handed. Because there is little African science fiction written for young readers, comparisons with Nancy Farmer's The Ear, the Eye and the Arm (Scholastic, 1994) are inevitable, but this story lacks much of the complexity of Farmer's work.–Karyn N. Silverman, Elizabeth Irwin High School, New York City
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 5-8. First-time novelist Okorafor-Mbachu braids elements of African tribal culture and speculative fantasy into a sprawling novel, in which one discerns shades of A Girl Named Disaster (1996), by Nancy Farmer and The People Could Fly (1985), by Virginia Hamilton (to whom this book is dedicated). Zahrah is a "dada girl" who was born with vine-entwined dreadlocks. She is also a rare Windseeker coming to uneasy terms with her ability to fly. When her best friend receives a snakebite, Zahrah must venture deeply into the Forbidden Greeny Jungle for an antidote, emerging from the ordeal "glow[ing] with experience" as well as a new mastery over her unusual gifts. Okorafor-Mbachu's evocative setting will draw experienced fantasy readers with its heady mix of the familiar and the strange (Zahrah's people celebrate yam festivals and cultivate personal computers from "CPU seeds"), but following such wild invention, some readers may be disappointed by the more predictable rhythms of Zahrah's linear, episodic quest adventure. Still, this is a welcome addition to a genre sorely in need of more heroes and heroines of color. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children; First Edition edition (September 26, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618340904
• ISBN-13: 978-0618340903
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,701,112 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Nnedi Okorafor is a novelist of Nigerian descent known for weaving African culture into creative evocative settings and memorable characters. In a profile of Nnedi's work titled "Weapons of Mass Creation", The New York Times called Nnedi's imagination "stunning". Her novels include Zahrah the Windseeker (winner of the Wole Soyinka Prize for African Literature), The Shadow Speaker (winner of the CBS Parallax Award) and Long Juju Man (winner of the Macmillan Writer's Prize for Africa). Her latest novel, Who Fears Death (DAW Books, 2010), is a dark, gritty magical realist narrative that evenly combines African literature and fantasy/science fiction into a powerful story of genocide and of the woman who reshapes her world. Nnedi holds a PhD in English and currently is a professor of creative writing at Chicago State University. Visit Nnedi at nnedi.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A delightful read, November 22, 2005

By 

Jack Faust (Midwest) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Zahrah the Windseeker (Hardcover)

A real rarity, this book has a brain, a heart, and a soul. What I mean is this: it's intelegent without being boring, emotional without being sappy, and moral without being preachy.

If that weren't enough, it's also got a strong, smart female main character, which is a pleasant surprise in YA fantasy. The world that Zarah explores is unique and exciting. It reminded me of the books I enjoyed back when I was still a kid. Best of all, I enjoyed reading it, even though I am, technically, an adult these days.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars (RAW Rating: 4.5) -- In Due Time, June 13, 2006

By 

The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers (RAWSISTAZ.com and BlackBookReviews.net) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Zahrah the Windseeker (Hardcover)

Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu's book ZAHRAH THE WINDSEEKER introduces readers to the Ooni Kingdom and one of its residents, a young girl named Zahrah who becomes famous. Zahrah is a unique girl, she was born "dada." People who are dada have hair known as dada locks, which are similar to dreadlocks with vines that attach themselves to the locks and grow along with the hair. Zahrah considers her hair a curse, but, because it grows that way, there isn't much, aside from cutting them off, that she can do about it. People who are dada are also known to have special gifts; Zahrah's gift is that she is a Windseeker but she doesn't initially embrace or develop the gift. She is teased in school because she is dada, and her only real friend is a boy named Dari. Dari and Zahrah are always involved in one drama or another, but in an effort to help Zahrah cultivate her gift as a Windseeker, the two friends decide to go into the Forbidden Greeny Jungle, which of course they were not allowed to do. Their visits to the jungle eventually result in a tragedy that only Zahrah can fix, but she must find strength and courage in order to do so.

ZAHRAH THE WINDSEEKER is a wonderful book that teaches important lessons by example rather than explicitly. The plot is fast moving, unpredictable and engrossing. I love the way Zahrah transforms over the course of the story. In the beginning she was somewhat shy, afraid to take risks or stand up for herself, crippled by fear, and ashamed of the fact that she is dada. The journeys into the Forbidden Greeny Jungle change her; she learns to trust herself, appreciate her strengths, and most importantly she learns to have courage. Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu has a fluid writing style that is filled with rich descriptions and vivid details. Her words brought the scenes to life and made it easy to visualize the events as they took place. I enjoyed the prominent role nature played in the book; from the dada locks (vines and all), to talking animals and buildings made entirely of plants. ZAHRAH THE WINDSEEKER is a unique book that young readers will enjoy, relate to, and be inspired by and I highly recommend it.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars African fantasy- Cool!, September 4, 2005

By 

Ned D. Okra IV (Earth) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Zahrah the Windseeker (Hardcover)

I flew through this novel in two days! I've never read a fantasy book like this. I think the author is African and she (I think) created this fantastical world using African cultures and folklore. I've read Virginia Hamilton's "The People Could Fly," maybe she got some of the myth from that. But I also noticed elements from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (it has a similar kind of humor) and Harry Potter. This is definitely something new and I really enjoyed it! I especially loved all the crazy creatures, the realistic characters and the plant technology. It read smooth and fast. I'm glad I found this book. Very unique.