Ratings

Content Ratings based on a 0-5 scale where
0 = no objectionable content and
5 = an excessive or disturbing level of content

Guide to Rating System

LANGUAGE

VIOLENCE

SEXUAL CONTENT

ADULT THEMES

1990 Newberry Honor Book/Readers Circle

Ratings Explanation

Violence:  Rape is common place.  Nazir, the greedy landowner rapes and then sends the young girls home with money for their family.  The vultures circle and rip an ailing camel apart, feasting on the live camel.  Shabanu aids the camel’s fetus and saves it’s life.  Kalu and Tipu fight to be the stud camel of the herd.  Shabanu’s father beats her for trying to escape her impending marriage to an older man.  Hamir’s father is found dead in a well.  Hamir is shot by Nazir.

Sexuality: There are descriptions of Phulan and Shabanu experiencing puberty, periods, emerging chests etc.  Shabanu wonders what sex will be like for her.  The stud camel impregnates the herd.  There are descriptions of the camels mating.

Adult Themes:  Shabanu is promised in marriage as a child, betrothed at eleven years of age, and then married at twelve years of age.  Daughters belong to their future mother in-laws.  Dowries and, in some instances, a bride price is paid.  Shabanu is the solution for a settlement between two families and is not given a choice.  Grandfather dies and is buried.  While traveling, the family comes across a deceased traveler who could not find water.

Summary

Shabanu is an eleven year old girl living in Cholistan, the windswept desert border region of Pakistan and India.  Shabanu’s family lives in a mud hut in the desert and owns a herd of camels.  They live a free existence in the desert, as long as there is water in the pond (“toba” ).  When the toba dries, they move to a village with a deep well, awaiting the monsoon season.  Each year they travel across the desert to Sibi, where they sell their camels and buy the goods they need.

Phulan is Shabanu’s older sister.  Phulan is graceful, beautiful and betrothed to Hamir, a young man in a village nearby.  Shabanu is promised to Murad, Hamir’s younger brother.  The girls are excited to have such good fortune, to marry into the same family, and be near one another throughout their lives.

Shabanu is annoyed with her sister’s ego-centric behavior, “All about the Bride.”  Shabanu seeks solace in the desert from Phulan’s demands.  Shabanu cares for the camels, and her parents allow her much freedom.  She is not confined to housework and has a camel, Guluband, that she teaches to dance.

Shabanu accompanies her father to Sibi to sell the camels.  Her father receives an offer he can’t refuse for Guluband.  He sells Shabanu’s beloved camel and her is heart broken.  However, her father now has enough money for both of his daughters’ dowries.  They return home to prepare for the upcoming wedding by buying and sewing beautiful clothes and making a pilgrimage to Channan Pir.  Shabanu meets her mother’s cousin, Sharma, and her daughter, Fatima. Sharma left her abusive husband for an independent existence in the desert, raising goats and sheep. Shabanu wishes she could steal away to live a wild and free life in the desert with Sharma and Fatima.  Shabanu’s grandfather wanders off in a dust storm and dies two days later.  Shabanu’s family buries grandfather and travels toward the wedding in Mehrabpur, where Hamir’s family lives.

Hamir’s family purchased their land from Nazir Mohammad. Hamir’s family labored many years to make the land fertile. Nazir Mohammad is trying to force Hamir’s family to give him back the now fertile land.  Shabanu and Phulan come across Nazir Mohammad and his friends while returning from bathing.  The men see the girls and desire to take Phulan and rape her. Shabanu rescues Phulan and they ride to their campsite on a camel.  Everyone is fearful of Nazir Mohammad.  Nazir killed Hamir’s father.  Hamir attempts to shoot him Nazir and is killed.

The “Police”, the Desert Rangers,  gather the families to settle the dispute. Nazir Mohammad’s brother, Rahim- sahib, is a politician and wants to settle the dispute quickly.  The dispute is settled: Phulan will marry Murad (Shabanu’s promised) immediately and Nazir Mohammad will leave the family alone.  Rahim-sahib, will then take Shabanu as his fourth wife in a year.

Shabanu is devastated. She endures Phulan’s wedding. Sharma counsels Shabanu to learn to manipulate and control her future husband, but remain true to herself.  She will need to keep her heart hidden from him.  Shabanu has a short time before her betrothal and she is tempted to escape into the desert with Sharma and Fatima.  When Shabanu’s period begins, she hides it from her parents.  She must marry soon after it arrives.  Shabanu decides to escape.  The camel breaks a leg during the escape and Shabanu waits for her father’s arrival.  He violently beats her.  Shabanu is silent during the beating.  She resigns herself to her fate, but she carefully guards her inner happiness in her heart.  She marries.

This book is written at a 5th Grade level.  However, I would not recommend reading it until at least junior high, due to the more mature content.  Humera Diwan, my friend from Karachi, Pakistan, and my Boulder Book Group friend, chose this book a few years ago for discussion.  We had a fascinating discussion as we learned more about the culture of the people who live in the Cholistan Region of Pakistan.  I do love this eye opening book.

©2009 The Literate Mother