About This Book

Life is both sweet and cruel to strong-willed young Shabanu, whose home is the windswept Cholistan Desert of Pakistan. The second daughter in a family with no sons, she's been allowed freedoms forbidden to most Muslim girls. But when a tragic encounter with a wealthy and powerful landowner ruins the marriage plans of her older sister, Shabanu is called upon to sacrifice everything she's dreamed of. Should she do what is necessary to uphold her family's honor — or listen to the stirrings of her own heart?

Set against the backdrop of desert life in present-day Pakistan, this book offers a passionate and deeply personal portrait of a young girl's struggle for identity in a culture that forbids even token expressions of independence by women.

Newbery Honor Book
ALA Best Books for Young Adults