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Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind (Library Binding)

~ (Author) "Phulan and I step gingerly through the prickly gray camel thorn, each of us balancing a red clay pot half filled with water on our..." (more)
Key Phrases: old female camel, string cot, other camels, Xhush Dil, Sher Dil, Bibi Lal (more...)
3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (225 customer reviews)

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  Hardcover, July 31, 2003 $12.45 $12.45 $8.02
  Library Binding, October 7, 1989 -- -- $0.06
  Paperback, Import -- -- $24.40
  Mass Market Paperback, August 11, 2003 $6.99 $2.69 $0.38
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Staples's first book is a beautiful portrayal of the life of a girl growing up among camel-dealing nomads in modern Pakistan. Shabanu knows the way her people, the Cholistanis, have always lived: a daughter abides by her father's decisions, a wife obeys her husband's wishes. Yet Shabanu is strong-willed and independent, and her mother warns, "Shabanu, you are wild as the wind. You must learn to obey. Otherwise . . . I am afraid for you." As the arranged marriage of Shabanu's sister Phulan approaches, and with her own wedding planned for the following year, Shabanu confronts her fear and apprehension. She scarcely knows the man she is expected to wed. What if she does not obey? Before the ceremonies take place, however, disaster strikes. Shabanu and Phulan, out alone and threatened with rape by a powerful local landowner, escape but humiliate him. In revenge, he kills Phulan's betrothed and threatens to cut off the family's water supply. As one condition for restoring peace, Shabanu must marry the landlord's older brother. With the help of a wise, loving aunt, Shabanu learns to curb and conceal her powerful will and channel it to bring her peace of mind. Staples's depiction of desert life is breathtaking. She employs vivid, lyrical metaphors to create the potency of the family's joys and struggles. Shabanu's thorny, poignant coming-of-age will capture the attention of readers young and old. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.


Review

?Shabanu is an unforgettable heroine set like a fine jewel in a wonderfully wrought book.??Kirkus Reviews, Starred

?Staples has accomplished a small miracle in her touching and powerful story.??The New York Times

?Remarkable . . . a riveting tour de force.??The Boston Globe -- Review --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.
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Product Details

  • Reading level: Young Adult
  • Library Binding: 256 pages
  • Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (October 7, 1989)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0394948157
  • ISBN-13: 978-0394948157
  • Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (225 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,125,158 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Suzanne Fisher Staples
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First Sentence:
Phulan and I step gingerly through the prickly gray camel thorn, each of us balancing a red clay pot half filled with water on our heads. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
old female camel, string cot, other camels
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Xhush Dil, Sher Dil, Bibi Lal, Nazir Mohammad, Bibi Lai, Spin Gul, Rahimyar Khan, Channan Pir, Hakra River, Channan Pit, Indus River, Lai Khan, Wing Command
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Customer Reviews

225 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
3.8 out of 5 stars (225 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written and bittersweet..., August 17, 2004
This review is from: Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind (Readers Circle) (Mass Market Paperback)
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.
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19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars They call the wind Shabanu, September 17, 2004
This review is from: Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind (Readers Circle) (Mass Market Paperback)
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.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars What a fantastic Book!, December 1, 1998
By A Customer
This review is from: Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind (Turtleback)
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!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars SHABANU IS WASTING MY LIFE
I'd have to admit "Shabanu the Daughter of boredom" is quite tedious to read! I would recommend not to even bother to read it because it is quite horrible. Read more
Published 3 months ago

3.0 out of 5 stars Pros and cons of Shabanu
I just read this book for English class and I think this book is fantastic.This book is about a girl named Shabanu who is dealing with family issues and her own self. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Joseph M. Der

4.0 out of 5 stars Pakistani desert girl's life struggles
A well written and thought provoking book Shabanu is the story of a young Cholistan desert girl whose family raises camels. Read more
Published 14 months ago by K. L. Strong

5.0 out of 5 stars the best
A Girls Life and Future

I recommend this book to anyone who loves to read about true life. Read more
Published on March 28, 2007

1.0 out of 5 stars ZZZZZZ
This book stinks. It's about a 12 year old girl named Shabanu who lives in the desert of Pakistan. Her life as been perfect since she was born, taking care of the camels, climbing... Read more
Published on March 22, 2007

4.0 out of 5 stars This book is good and bad!
This book really changed my life. I was assigned to read this book, and Haveli in 7th grade. Shabanu shows a strong, defiant, girl trying to grow into her womanhood. Read more
Published on March 3, 2007

1.0 out of 5 stars Shabanu Got On My Nerves
Okay, I had to read this book for my Freshman English class, for our unit on the Middle East. I had already read the one by an Arabic author, and reading this, you could tell it... Read more
Published on January 6, 2007 by Luthiena

5.0 out of 5 stars a lovely heroine, a lovely novel
I first read this book as a girl in junior high. As a woman grown, and approaching motherhood, I would like my daughter to read this book when she is old enough. Read more
Published on December 31, 2006 by Sofia

5.0 out of 5 stars Kevin Zhang, Review for "Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind"
"Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind" is a meaningful book. It is about a girl from Pakistan who learns to endure hardships. Read more
Published on December 3, 2006

5.0 out of 5 stars Hardship, determination and a strong will enable this young woman to develop into a noble woman
Shabanu enjoys the pleasures of her childhood with her playmate and camel, Gulaband. Shabanu draws alot of strength and encouragement from her Auntie Sharma, a single-parent,... Read more
Published on October 20, 2006 by Ann Marie Grumm

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