A Nomadic Life in the Desert: Shabanu by Suzanne Fisher Staples

Book Review
Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind by Suzanne Fisher Staples Published by Alfred A. Knopf in 1989

This is the story of Shabanu, a young teenager and member of a semi-nomadic family living in the Cholistan Desert in Pakistan. The family's sustenance is raising and selling camels which, while enough to live on, does not allow for much extravagances. Coupled with a harsh environment and an unpredictable monsoon season, the family is frequently in a state of flux.

Suzanne Fisher Staples' account of this region of the world could be part of a James Michener historical fiction. Both light up an unknown (to most readers) world with vivid descriptions and memorable characters. While the timeline of Shabanu is the modern age and spans only a few months, the story feels timeless perhaps because a nomadic life in the desert mimics a never-ending saga, and the author does a wonderful job of bringing that aspect to life. Nevertheless, the writing in general and the dialogue in particular somehow feel a bit labored and not developed enough. Ironically, it is not until the very end that the story really shines through, but because of it, it is worth reading.