Under the Persimmon Tree, a novel about Afghanistan
by Maxine
Najma has lost her mother and infant brother in a bombing raid over her small village during the Afghan war in 2001. After fleeing a refugee camp, Najma makes her way disguised as a boy to Peshawar, hoping to find her father and older brother who were taken by the Taliban. Under the Persimmon Tree by Suzanne Fisher Staples is the story of her journey and in alternating chapters, follows a young American woman, Nusrat, who has married a doctor from Afghanistan and converted to Islam. Her husband is away, treating the war wounded and she fears for his life. Nusrat has set up a school of sorts for refugee children and Najmah is brought to her. Together, they find the strength to deal with possible losses of their loved ones. As in Staples' previous books, Shabanu and Haveli which also take place in Pakistan, these are personal stories of young women bound by tradition yet yearning to break free.
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