Coming of Age

Shabanu and her sister, Phulan, live in a nomadic desert culture that follows the Islamic religion. Therefore, even though they are very young by Western standards, in their culture they are considered to be of marriageable age. Once a girl's bleeding starts, she is considered an adult, ready to bear children. Phulan readily accepts this, although she cries some at first. However, by the time her wedding comes, she is happy and embraces her future. She is only thirteen years old.

Shabanu, on the other hand, is not so ready to grow up. She loves her camels and would rather be with them than keeping house or getting married. As the novel progresses, she grows up quite a bit. While she never leaves her rebellious nature behind, she does understand that she has a role in life. She learns to protect herself by keeping parts of...