Under+the+Persimmon+Tree--Reviewed+by+Amanda+Aird

Suzanne Fisher Staples, //Under the Persimmon Tree//, Reviewed by Amanda Aird Douglas and McIntyre, 2005, 270 pages. In the book //Under the Persimmon Tree//, life in Afghanistan is torn asunder with the Americans declaring war against the Taliban and bombing villages throughout Afghanistan. The Taliban terrorizes villages and takes all the men, boys, and food available to fight the Americans and wives and children are left to fend for themselves. Thousands are displaced from their land and their family members; stuck in refugee camps with little food, they suffer in the crossfire between the Americans and the Taliban. Najmah, a twelve year-old girl from the Kunduz Province in Afghanistan, loses everything she loves and goes on a journey to discover the fate of her family members as well as discover her place in the world. Nusrat is an American woman who came with her husband to Afghanistan in order to teach Afghani refugees how to do math and awaits her husband’s return from the camp where he works as a doctor. As their worlds fall apart, their paths cross and they come to realize that despite the horror of war and the tragedies that threaten to engulf them, they can find and love and trust in each other. I was blown away by the powerful, emotional content in this young adult novel. This novel exposes young Americans to the perspective of a country that their nation is at war with and shows them that many of the people in Afghanistan are normal people caught in the middle of a conflict that they had no desire to be in. This book gives a face to a people who have been considered the “enemy” for the last 8 years by the media and the government in America. Furthermore, this book shows that Islam and Christianity are not so different and disproves the American understanding that Islam is evil. This is a very valuable book because it can educate middle school-aged kids across the U.S. so that they do not end up with misconceptions of people in the Middle East or with the pointless hatred and bigotry that some Americans carry for people from that area of the world. This book teaches much about the Afghani culture and shows how the Afghani people don’t like the Taliban any more than the rest of the world does. On top of the cultural education that readers get from this book, there are many things to be learned about how people cope with war, loss, and hardship from this novel. The importance of family, trust, and love are communicated by the bonds between the characters as they strive to find the will to go on when all seems lost. //Under the Persimmon Tree// teaches readers about perseverance and the strength of humanity. It is a beautiful story about determination, despair, and love in the most unexpected places. There is also a glossary of Dari and Arabic terms so that readers are not confused by the unfamiliar names for people and things. Staples shows that adolescents can handle some intense situations and be mature and tough when they have to be. Najmah is only twelve, but she thinks quickly and survives when few adults would be able to. She journeys through horrible conditions like the winter in the mountains when there was little to keep warm with and nothing to eat but snow. She cares for others as well as herself and she seems extremely mature. She is a strong character who is determined to protect her family’s land and honor her responsibility to pass that land on to her children eventually. She never gives up on the idea of searching for her father and brother who were taken by the Taliban. She is also works her hardest to learn from Nusrat. As for society, Staples demonstrates that adolescents can shape their society with the example of the boy armies that the Taliban uses as well as the way that Najmah helps the family that she travels to Pakistan with when they need her to help care for their little boys. Najmah was extremely caring with Nusrat too because she tried to help her deal with her grief and gave Nusrat a companion to talk to and care for. Clearly, Staples believes that adolescents can adapt and survive with the capability of any adult in situations like war. I would recommend this book to middle school students first of all because it is at their reading level, but I would recommend it to everyone with regards to the plot and style of this novel. It was a beautiful, tragic, and touching story from start to finish. It is also an eye-opener for those who do not know what the people of Afghanistan are really like culturally and religiously. This book gives incite to the receiving end of U.S. efforts in the Middle East and reveals the questionable nature of the actions of the U.S. military in that area. In this book, the U.S. and the Taliban were both threats and it would be valuable for students to see that. The book is fast-paced with very detailed description that does not spare readers from any information. It is a realistic depiction of the state of Afghanistan, the amount of damage that the U.S. inflicts on innocent people, and the general horrors of war and the Taliban. It is educational as well as entertaining. It may lead readers to question what they believe about the war and what they believe should be done in the conflict. With universal themes like the importance of family, faith, and love, everyone can relate to the characters in this story. It is easy to understand and will keep students and people of all ages hooked throughout the story. In my opinion, everyone should read //Under the Persimmon Tree//.
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