SHABANU - Hardcover

Staples, Suzanne Fisher

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0394848152 ISBN 13: 9780394848150

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 1989

Synopsis

When eleven-year old Shabanu, the daughter of a nomad in the Cholistan Desert of present-day Pakistan, is pledged in marriage to an older man whose money will bring prestige to the family, she must either accept the decision, as is the custom, or risk the consequences of defying her father's wishes.In a novel of present-day Pakistan, the lives of the nomads of the Cholistan Desert are revealed in the story of Shabanu, who must submit to the marriage her father arranges for her, or go against centuries of tradition by defying him

About this title

From the Inside Flap:

"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.  

About the Author:

*Suzanne grew up in Pennsylvania, and was a liberal arts major in college.  After graduation, she had various jobs, all having something to do with writing and research.  Eventually, she landed in Hong Kong, where she became a reporter for United Press International.

*For six years, Suzanne lived and worked in China, and in 1979, UPI offered Suzanne her own bureau in South Asia.  Several extraordinary events happened during her tenure there, including the taking of American hostages in Iran, and the Civil War in Afghanistan.  Suzanne also traveled extensively with Indira Gandhi during this time.

*In 1985, Suzanne went to Pakistan to conduct a study on poor rural woman. It was during this time that she was inspired to write her first children's book, Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind .  A sequel to Shabanu , Haveli , soon followed.

*Currently, Suzanne Fisher Staples lives with her husband, Wayne Harley, in Mount Dora, Florida, where she continues to write.  

About this edition

• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 1989
• ISBN 10: 0394848152
• ISBN 13: 9780394848150
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 240