First published 1993
Shabanu adjusts her dupatta and watches her young daughter play in the courtyard of the family compound. At eighteen, she has already buried one husband and now lives under the watchful eyes of her in-laws in rural Pakistan. The ancient rules that govern her world dictate every aspect of her daily life, from how she speaks to where she walks. She must navigate the complex relationships within the extended family while protecting her daughter's future. When she meets a man who stirs feelings she thought were buried with her past, Shabanu faces an impossible choice. The strict customs of her community forbid such connections, yet her heart pulls her toward a love that could destroy everything she has worked to build. She must decide whether to accept the limitations placed on her as a young widow or risk everything for a chance at happiness that defies every tradition she has known.
Genres: romance, literary-fiction, historical-fiction, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, forbidden-love
Setting: Pakistan, Rural Pakistan
Period: 20th-Century
259 pages · Hardcover · Knopf Books for Young Readers
Content warnings: death