Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind

"This first novel is, on several counts, one of the most exciting YA books
to appear recently. Staples is so steeped in her story and its Pakistani
setting that the use of a first-person voice for a desert child rings
authentic--the voice is clear, consistent, and convincing. Shabanu and her
sister are to marry brothers as soon as they all come of age. But she will
eventually lose her betrothed and be promised to a wealthy landowner to settle
a feud. The richness and tragedy of a whole culture are reflected in the fate
of this girl's family. Through an involving plot Staples has given readers
insight into lives totally different from their own, but into emotions
resoundingly familiar."--(starred) "Bulletin, Center for Children's Books.
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