Under the Persimmon Tree

Under the Persimmon Tree. By Suzanne Fisher Staples. Farrar, Strauss & Giroux, 2005. 288 pages. Tr. $17.00 ISBN 978-0374380250

Summary: Najmah lives in the Kandahar Hills of Afghanistan with her older brother, Nur, and her mother and father. They eke out a living from grazing sheep and planting crops. However, this all changes when the Taliban arrives at their house, taking all their food and kidnapping her brother and father. Without extra help around Najmah cares for her pregnant mother, nurturing her until the baby arrives. Planes shoot both mother and babe, as American forces try to take down the Taliban. Now an orphan, Najmah dons the clothes of a boy, making the perilous journey to Pakistan with some neighbors. Meanwhile, Nusrat, an American-wife of a Pakistani doctor longs for word from her husband from the front. She hasn’t heard from him in months. During the day she teaches refugee children under the persimmon tree in her backyard, and at night, dreams about her husband by looking up at the stars. Najmah becomes a student of Nusrat, and the two form a close bond.

Critical Review: Steeple’s novel authentically portrays the horrors of war, and is a perfect novel of the post-911 world for tweens. She provides us with a fascinating study of Middle-Eastern life. It is vital that tweens realize the Muslim religion, and understand that contrary to widespread misconception, Muslims are far from fanatics. Najmah and her family epitomize the innocent Afghanistan masses, forced out of their homes by religious zealots. Nusrat and her husband, Faiz, demonstrate the true message of Islam: loving kindness to everyone, especially the less fortunate. The persimmon tree school is a place of healing within a world of turmoil, a place where Najmah and Nusrat can recover from their tragedies and embrace their new lives.

Genre: Realistic Fiction; Historical Fiction

Reading/Interest Level: 12-14 years

Awards: American Library Association Notable Books Award, 2006

Reviews: Voice of Youth Advocates (2005, October 1); School Library Journal (2005, July 1); Booklist (2005, July 1); Publishers Weekly (2005, June 20)

Similar Materials: Suzanne Fisher Staples’s Shabanu and Shiva’s Fire; Catherine Stine’s Refugees

Subjects/Themes: war; Afghanistan; Pakistan; stars; families

Character Names: Mada-jan; Nur; Baba-jan; Najmah; Nusrat (Elaine); Faiz; Asma; Margaret; Jamshed; Maha; Babar; Husna; Fatima; Sultan

Author Website: http://www.suzannefisherstaples.com/

Brief Annotation: In the aftermath of September 11, an Afghani refuge and an American schoolteacher meet in Pakistan, exchanging stories of the war and finding hope under the stars.