Shabanu by Suzanne Fisher Staples
"Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind" by Suzanne Fisher Staples is a coming-of-age novel that immerses readers in the life of an eleven-year-old girl named Shabanu, who belongs to a nomadic family in the Cholistan desert, situated between northwest India and southeast Pakistan. Through Shabanu's clear narrative, the story explores the joys and struggles inherent in her rich cultural backdrop, including her family's deep connection to their camels and the harsh realities of desert living. As Shabanu approaches puberty, she anticipates her arranged marriage to her cousin, Murad, mirroring her sister Phulan's upcoming union.
However, the plot takes a dramatic turn when the sisters face a life-threatening encounter with a dangerous landowner, leading to unforeseen consequences that challenge the fabric of their lives. Shabanu's journey reveals her resilience and compassion, particularly when she chooses to stay with her injured camel, Mithoo, over escaping her predetermined fate. The novel juxtaposes individual desires against cultural expectations and societal pressures, while also aiming to bridge understanding between Western and Islamic perspectives. Recognized as a Newbery Honor Book, "Shabanu" is celebrated for its vivid imagery and authentic portrayal of nomadic traditions, leaving readers intrigued about Shabanu's fate and eager for more of her story.
Subject Terms
Shabanu by Suzanne Fisher Staples
First published: 1989
Subjects: Coming-of-age, family, and gender roles
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Domestic realism and social realism
Time of work: The twentieth century
Recommended Ages: 10-15
Locale: The Cholistan desert in Pakistan
Principal Characters:
Shabanu , the adventurous eleven-year-old narratorPhulan , Shabanu’s docile older sisterMama , their motherDadi , their fatherSharma , a female cousin of Shabanu’s parentsHamir , the cousin to whom Phulan has been promised in marriageMurad , the cousin to whom Shabanu has been promised in marriageNazir Mohammad , a nefarious landowner in the village of MehrabpurRahim-sahib , Nazir Mohammad’s older brother, an influential politician
Form and Content
In this coming-of-age novel, Suzanne Fisher Staples uses language rich in imagery to create a memorable world far removed from the average Western youngster’s experience. Through the clear narrative voice of Shabanu, an eleven-year-old girl in a nomadic culture, the reader comes to understand the joys and sufferings of life for this extended family—a life so different from, yet hauntingly familiar to, the universal struggles and yearnings of the human heart. The setting of Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind is the Cholistan desert between northwest India and southeast Pakistan. The reader learns much about the care of camels, the avoidance of scorpions, the dangers of desert storms, and the priceless value of water. Along with Shabanu, the reader experiences the wonders of birth, the onset of menarche, the wildness of desert carnivals, and the Muslim rituals of weddings and funerals.
Through chapters averaging eight pages, the author moves the reader along quickly. Each of the twenty-three chapter headings is a name or an important event, many in the language of the people of Cholistan. Context usually unlocks the meaning of the words, or the reader may refer to the glossary for a definition and a pronunciation guide. Since many of the words are nearly onomatopoeic, this feature adds to the novel’s authentic sound and thus the reader’s enjoyment of the words. Furthermore, a map locates the action in the Cholistan desert. The routes and campsites of the protagonist and her family are clearly indicated, helping the reader follow the action of the story.
Shabanu is an adventurous, high-spirited young girl, very unlike her more docile older sister, Phulan, who is soon to marry Cousin Hamir. When Shabanu reaches puberty, she too will marry a cousin, in this case Hamir’s brother, Murad. Both marriages have been arranged for years, and the benefits of the sisters marrying cousins who are themselves brothers is a cause of joy for the family. Although somewhat apprehensive about the coming events, Shabanu looks forward with confidence to her fate as Murad’s wife, as she knows him and enjoyed playing with him when they were young children.
Events take a catastrophic turn as preparations for the wedding of Phulan and Hamir near completion. Nazir Mohammad, a nefarious landowner, accosts the two sisters with the intent of kidnapping and raping them. Shabanu foils the evil Nazir, but the results are horrific. In an act of desert vengeance, Hamir, Phulan’s betrothed, is killed, and the resulting peace negotiations result in upheaval for the two daughters. Now Phulan, who is ready to marry, will have Murad as a husband and Shabanu will be given to Rahim-sahib, the powerful politician and older brother of the despicable Nazir, as his fourth wife. This arrangement will save the family’s honor as well as the land and will ensure a future for both daughters.
Shabanu resists and attempts to run away to her aunt Sharma. When her beloved camel, Mithoo, falls and breaks a leg, however, Shabanu chooses to stay with him, knowing that her father will find her and beat her and that her fate with Rahim-sahib will be sealed. She painfully chooses the path of compassion to stay with Mithoo and ultimately to save the family’s lives and fortune. Her only hope is in the remembered words of advice from the wise and revered Aunt Sharma. She resolves to keep her innermost beauty, the secrets of her soul, locked in her heart.
Critical Context
Although many coming-of-age novels have been written about the struggle between the individual and society from the perspective of Western society, Shabanu is unique in its location and vivid descriptions of the nomadic life in the Pakistani desert.
This novel, the first for Suzanne Fisher Staples, was named a Newbery Honor Book. Staples once lived in Pakistan and became involved with the nomads of the Cholistan desert during her years as a United Press International (UPI) correspondent. Deeply impressed and inspired by the courage and generosity of these desert nomads, she resolved to dispel some of the misconceptions Westerners have about Islamic societies. Thus, Staples’ motivation in writing this novel was to reveal the common life and thus the universal humanness of these desert-dwelling Muslims. Through the intelligent and poetic voice of Shabanu, who describes her life and austere desert existence, she succeeds in doing so. The story of this resilient, independent, free-spirited young woman will stay with the reader for a long time. After the novel’s publication, Staples promised a sequel, and all who read this book will be eager to hear what happens next to this plucky heroine so different in geographical setting but so like Western teenagers in her heart.