The book Haveli by Suzanne Fisher Staples, is a poignant sequel to Shabanu. This book is very exciting and poignant and includes a lot of information about the Pakistani culture. Basically imprisoned by her polygamist husband, Rahim, and ridiculed by the other wives, Shabanu and her 6-year-old daughter, Mumtaz, long to return to the Cholistan Desert. But Shabanu has Rahim mesmerized by her mysterious self-confidence and inner beauty. A trip to Rahim's house in the city of Lahore brings Shabanu and Omar together. Omar is also trapped by ingrained traditions. Can Shabanu and Omar free themselves from ancient custom and be able to love one another without restriction? Read this excellent book to find out.

I recommend this book because the reader can learn a lot from reading it. This book is set in the present time but in a totally different half of the world from America. Shabanu practices Islam and lived a nomadic life. In this book there is a lot of description of Islamic customs and you find out what it's like to be a Camel Herder in the Cholistani Desert. Also it thoroughly explains how young women are treated in this culture. Arranged marriages, polygamy, a female's position in a household, and the lives of nomads, are all topics covered in this book. Another noteworthy point about Haveli is that the reader will most definitely find that this is a very compelling love story. There have been other books and movies with the same kind of plot none of which take place in Pakistan or have much to do with the beliefs of the Muslims. This book will touch your heart when you read about two lovers that are forbidden to be together and open your mind when you learn about the nomadic way of life that is practiced in the Middle-East.

One reason why I wouldn't recommend this book is because the author gets off topic and talks about past experiences a lot making it hard to decipher past from present. It is very confusing when the author switches from previous incidents and the current time so quickly. You must read very carefully or continually reread. Although this one flaw makes the book a bit harder to comprehend, once you get into the book, (which is very easy to do) the reader will get used to the author writing style and understand what is being said perfectly. This book is really a riveting tale that gives its readers a lot of insight into this unique culture.

Many Sequels fail to exceed the stories they follow.....This is an exception. When I first Read "Shabanu Daughter of The Wind" I was without words because the book was so amazing. I even thought Haveli would not be as good as the first book, but I was wrong. It is very rare to find a book where you are always feeling the characters struggles, pain and spirit.(To the point where you may cry or laugh out loud!) Shabanu is a very strong willed girl and when you read this story you will know what I mean. When I put myself in her place I kept thinking how hard it would be for me to do the things she was doing. The things she goes through, the many choices she must make, and the sacrafices are breathtaking. Although "Haveli" fails to pick up where Shabanu left off you are not lost on what has happened because you are given a lot of the background that you missed between the 2 books. The closing line will always stay with me for it shows yet again how she must sacrafice to survive under the circumstances of the world she must live in. I really do wish there were more books to follow these powerful stories....maybe there will be someday. But all we can do is cherish these two books, and hope for coming sequels!

Shabanu, Staple's first novel, was simply enchanting and fascinating. The sequel, Haveli, was certainly no disapointment. Readers may rejoice at Ms. Staples' excellent storylines and tale: it is well-balanced and brings us back to the small, hard world of Shabanu.

In this book, 18 year old Shabanu is married to a man almost twice her age and has a small daughter whom she devotes her life to. Shabanu must deal with the every day challenges of her harsh life in Pakistan without the family that she has always relied on. The other, older wives of her husband are cruel to her and her daughter, jealous of the young girl whom their husband loves so dearly. Shabanu fears that they might try to harm her and her daughter, and therefore is relieved when they are offered the opportunity to go into the city dwelling of Haveli. There Shabanu finds both peace and a forbidden love. While she battles with her concious, she makes plans for her daughter's education and upbringing. A truly magical tale of real life and of a culture that no one understands.

This book is different from all others. It brings us into a culture we don't understand and, especially in times like these, helps us accept and realize how much like us they really are. I reccomend this book to children ages 10 and up, and adults everywhere who have a love of good books.

One of the best books I have read. As an 8th grader, I read a lot and this book deserves the highest praise. This book will make you rethink your philosophies, and wring your heart. I beg you to read this book!

Happy reading! -Lia

This was the first book I read by Staples, and the first half of the book blew me away! Her descriptions of India, the people, the customs, and lifestyles transported me back in time. She shows the true nature of a "third world country" by throwing in tidbits of the present world also--jeeps and gas stoves--to remind us that though this seems to be a historical novel, the villagers are living in our time. I was disappointed with character development, though by the end of the book. She tried to wrap things up a little too neatly, and then leaves the reader hanging anyway. The true friendship Parvati finally encounters is strained and almost forced. The reader wonders which is stronger: the new friend, the need to dance, or cultural taboos? Overall I really enjoyed this book, and for anyone who has visited India and misses it, this would be a good book to read.

A new novel from the author of Shabanu and Haveli. Parvati is born the same day a cyclone devastates her village in Nandipuram, India, and kills her father. The beginning of the novel tells of her mother's experience as a widow with small children forced to live with a loving uncle and bitter aunt, and of watching her unusual daughter grow up. Parvati is concious of her surroundings from the day of her birth, and remembers everything. Her aunt and the villagers are suspicous and treat her as an outcast, so Parvati grows up without friends. At twelve, a traveling guru seeking students for his traditional Indian dance academy offers Parvati a scholarship. Unsure of leaving her family, she accepts because the "dowry" the academy will pay for her will afford her mother and brothers to move into their own house and land. Once at the school, Parvati does make one friend, but she is again ostracized by the other students for the unusual occurrences that accompany her. Her natural affinity for dancing accelerates her pace through the school, and after only two years of study, she is invited to perform at the birthday party of the Maharaja of Nandipuram. This allows her to visit her family for the first time since she has been away, and to spend a few days in the luxury of the Raja's palace.

The contrast between palace life, her impoverished childhood, and the almost monastic existence at the dance academy are stunning, and this is one of the few books I wish was a movie instead because the descriptions of the countryside, the dancing, and opulence of the palace, complete with trained elephants, would be a sight. Staples writing is superb, as usual. Unlike Shabanu, however, the character development is not as strong. The focus of the story is the setting and culture of India, rather then Parvati, or even her mother. This does not necessarily lessen it's value, but makes it a little bit less accessible. Fans of well written novels will enjoy it greatly, but those looking for a traditional main character to empathize and connect with will be disappointed.

Being interested in Indian culture and stories, I checked out this book from the library. As I began reading it, I wondered what the story was really about, since the beginning is a little hazy and confusing. But as I continued to read I didn't want to put the book down! It's a wonderful story about a girl named Parvati who is born with a mysterious gift...the gift of having music in her blood. As a young girl, she tries to dance, and is the believed source of several disasters and miracles. At an older age, she is found by the Guru...the head of a dance school, and invited to come on scholarship because of amazing ability to dance. I loved reading about Parvati as some of the other girls grew jealous of her abilities, as she is invited to dance before the Raja, and becomes confused about her destiny when she meets Rama, the Raja's son. I would definitely recommend this book to readers ages 11-15. :)

I liked the writing and description. The author madethecharacters have a southern dialogue that is realistic. I thinkthat the beginning is dull but I kept on reading. The ending isn't as good as I think the author could write it... This story is about an african american 13-year old girl named Tunes. She lives in a small home with her father who works for Tune's best friend Buck Smith's dad. She is accused of murdering an hispanic worker, Jorge, who works for Jumbo Rawling s, a man who is well know in the conmunity. I think this taught me how racist people can be. I liked to read this book and that is why I gave it 4 stars.

Although this is the first novel I have read by Susan Fisher, it is categorized as one of the top 10 books I have read. She is able to generate the feelings of the characters within you and make you feel as if you were them. Here is an example from the book, " I snatched my hand out from under hers and flung myself into the farthest corner of the front seat. I looked out the window, all atwitch with nervous energy. As angry and frightened as I was, I felt as if pure adrenaline pumped through my veins." (p.112). The book shows an example of a heartbreaking friendship between two people from different worlds. Buck and Tunes, Buck being white and Tunes being black, having been raised since infancy, they take a tumble into the real world and find out that it its more than they assumed it was. This is a sad and very powerful story.
The initial message I was receiving from the book and its author was that if your in a realtionship of any kind, there will be someone to help you when u have lost all faith or need help. Even if you don't want help its not your choice, a good friend will help u no matter what. I would defiantly agree with this message because I have found that in my life when I needed help but I didn't want it, my friends still came through and helped me anyways. You may or may not agree with this theme depending on the type of relationship you have with friends. The reason why is because if you have a poor relationship with your friends, they may not be there to support you. So you may not be able to relate to the message of the author or agree with him. I know I certainly agree with her message.
I would recommend this book to others who are searching for a novel that will satisfy their needs for a great book. This book is not boring like other novels. I admire the way the book jumps to the climax within the second chapter of the book, it wont keep u waiting for the climax to arrive. So if you are looking for a exciting well written, heartbreaking book, this is the one you have been searching for your entire life. I would give this book a 9 out of 10, that is how much I cherish this book.

I rate Dangerous Skies five stars out of five because it is an excellent book to read and it keeps you reading more. I liked this book very much because it had a lot of excitement and it made you want to read more to find out what would happen next. In this book there was a murder and everybody thought it was this girl so that kept me reading on to see if she really committed the crime or not. There is another book like this and it is called Haveli it is a little different but it has to do with a murder. Dangerous Skies is more exciting and has more adventure. In Dangerous Skies a black girl and her dad work on Buck Smith's farm. Her name is Tunes. It all started when Tunes and Buck were out fishing and in a boat when they were fishing and they spot a dead body floating along the shore of their property. Buck suspects that it is Jumbo but the landowner thinks it is Tunes since she is new. The adults can't help. While Buck is talking to Tunes Bucks finds something out that will turn everything around to figure out who killed the person that was floating in the lake

Sabanu: Daughter of the Wind tells the story of a strong-willed 11 year old girl raised in a close-knit family of nomadic camel herders from the Cholistan Desert of Pakistan. Brought up in a society where women's lives are strictly ruled by men, religion, and cultural traditions, Sabanu has been given many freedoms that are forbidden to most Muslim girls. She and her family experience joy and pain throughout the story as the reader learns wonderful information about life in the Pakistani desert, various customs of the Muslim people, and the role of women in Indian culture. The author uses authentic language to create powerful visual images which allow the reader to share the family's happiness in planning an upcoming wedding, and their deep sorrow at the death of a dearly beloved family member. The story is so engrossing that one can feel Sabanu's uncertainty about the future, and understand the struggle she faces when making a difficult decision in the final chapters of the book.

I enjoyed this story because of the vivid picture it paints of Indian culture. I admired Sabanu for her determination to be free while longing to remain loyal to her family and her heritage. I would recommend using this book with students in high school to increase their knowledge of the world, and to promote an appreciation of Indian culture.

11-year old Shabanu is the youngest child in her family living in the Cholistan desert in Pakistan. She has a difficult life, and she is forced to marry as soon as she becomes a woman. Her life changes forever when she is forced to marry a 55 year old man! This book describes the lifestyle of a young girl growing up in Pakistan. The characters are well developed and the story line is full of excitement and adventure. The different culture in this book is a good thing for young people to learn about. It has happy parts and sad parts, and put together, it makes a excellent book. I think that this book is more suitable for mature readers, as a lot of people at this site gave it two stars or less. I personally think it is one of the best books I have read, and I think it well deserved the Newbery Honor. Now I'm going to read the sequel!

...I read this book a little over a year ago and i fell in love with it. I have read it to pieces and have bought 3 new compies in the past year. This book happens to be very adventurous and awe inspiring. Its about a musilm girl, Shabanu, who is 11 at the beginning of her story. She and her sister Phulan , 13, live in the Cholistian Desert along th Border of Pacistan with the mother, father, , grandfather, aunt, and younger cousins as camel "farmers". They live in anyplace in the desert that happend to have water untill the monsoons come. Shabanu is interested in everything except "ladies" work. She and her sister are betrothed to thier cousins Murad and Hamir. But when her Mother tries to teach Shabanu womens work, Shabanu's sister catches on but Shabanu has more fun playing with the camels and running around in the beautiful desert sand. When a something tragic happens between her family and her landowner, her family is put with a desicion that will change evrything in everyones life. Shabanu, daughter of the wind, is one of the best books i've ever read .... I feel at least evryone who loves an uplifting, tear jerker will love this book and its sequal, Havali. Suzanne Fisher Stapeles happens to be a wonderful author. i love her other book Shiva's fire. All her stories and books are very uplifing and make you feel godd when you read them. YOU REALLY SHOULD READ THIS!!! thank you.