 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
The Shadows of Ghadames
- By Joelle Stolz
- Genre: Historical Fiction
Common Sense Media says
A girl's life in turn-of-the-century Muslim Libya.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this is a portrait of female life in turn-of-the-century Libya, so there's certainly much to discuss.
What's the story?
Malika lives in a town in Libya in the late nineteenth century. Women stay in the houses and on the rooftops, while men are free to walk the streets. As her brother goes out and begins working, and her merchant father sets out on another long trading journey, Malika feels increasingly imprisoned by her circumscribed life, in which she is not even permitted to learn to read and write, but knows she will be married off soon.
When her father's second wife rescues a wounded man being chased by a mob, she puts the whole family in danger. Hiding him in the house where there are women is strictly forbidden. But Malika is glad, because he begins teaching her how to read.
Is it any good?
In this Batchelder Award-winning translation from French, story and character are strictly secondary to the author's two purposes: giving a portrait of Muslim female life, and disapproving of it. The vivid picture of that life is fascinating: the rooftop culture and travel routes, the painted gardens, the careful relations between the two wives of one man. The pictures of places and activities are far more compelling than the wan plot and washed out characters.
But the author puts into the minds and mouths of the characters ideas from Western culture that don't belong there: that women should have more freedom, that their lives are unfair, that their culture and religion are wrong-headed. At a time when building understanding between cultures is more important than ever, encouraging young readers to judge another culture by the standards of their own doesn't seem very helpful.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the treatment of women in Muslim Libya. The book is written by a Westerner who clearly doesn't approve of the practices depicted, so, unintentionally, there's even more to discuss, including cultural prejudice.
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Couldn't put it down
This book is set in the amazing city of Ghadames,now a UNESCO world heritage site in Libya. Stolz explores gender roles, courage, and gives a fascinating glimpse into Berber culture. It's a beautiful, well-written book and provided my daughter and me with a lot of opportunities to discuss cultural expectations, and "doing the right thing."
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| Author: | Joelle Stolz |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Historical Fiction |
| Publisher: | Delacorte Press |
| Publication date: | January 30, 2005 |
| Number of pages: | 118 |
| Hardcover price: | $15.95 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 8 - 12 |
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