這個故事主要場景在巴基斯坦的沙漠遊牧民族，書中的Phulan和Shabanu是一對姐妹，在父母的安排下先後要與及二個表哥結婚，二個姐妹個性完全不同，Phulan是個等待愛情婚姻的甜美女子，而妹妹Shabanu卻是個對沙漠生活及動物充滿熱情的女孩。當他們忙著準著準備Phulan的婚禮時，不幸的事情發生了，原本要和Phulan結婚的表哥卻被地主給殺害了，雙方的父母在最後竟做出了不同的決定，要Phulan和另一個表哥結婚，而這個表哥原本是要娶Shabanu的，而Shabanu卻被指定得嫁給地主的哥哥當第四個妻子！Shabanu會接受這種安排嗎？還是會為她自己的人生做出不同的決定呢？適合12歲以上兒童閱讀。Life is both sweet and cruel to strong-willed young Shabanu, whose home is the windswept Cholistan Desert of Pakistan. The second daughter in a family with no sons, she’s been allowed freedoms forbidden to most Muslim girls. But when a tragic encounter with a wealthy and powerful landowner ruins the marriage plans of her older sister, Shabanu is called upon to sacrifice everything she’s dreamed of. Should she do what is necessary to uphold her family’s honor—or listen to the stirrings of her own heart? |
