Staples's respect for the culture she depicts proves her sensitivity. As previously stated, she lived in the area and talked to the people there, using their stories as the basis of her novel. The reader's relationship to Shabanu is a direct result of the author's attitude toward her characters. Readers sympathize with Shabanu, delight in her independent streak, and feel compassion when she despairs.

Another way in which the author shows her sensitivity is in her depiction of classic teenage milestones, such as Shabanu's physical development and experiencing menarche. Shabanu envies her sister's earlier development, but at the same time wishes to remain a child with the freedom and independence she will not be able to have as a woman in her society. Staples has a love for the region, or she would not have written about it, yet she depicts the bad as well as...