The House of Djinn

Starred review from February 11, 2008
As atmospheric and suspenseful as its predecessors, Shabanu
and Haveli
, this evocative novel transports readers to an intriguing corner of the universe to provide an insightful look at modern Middle Eastern culture. Fortunately, readers need no previous familiarity with the saga of Shabanu, fourth wife of a Pakistani tribal leader's son; they will readily enter Staples's world. As the story opens, Shabanu's husband, Rahim, has been killed by his brother during a land dispute, and Shabanu has gone into hiding, allowing her parents to believe she is dead. Meanwhile, her teenage daughter, Mumtaz, is being raised by an abusive aunt in the family compound. Mumtaz, often treated like a servant, finds a trustworthy friend and confidant in cousin Jameel, who now lives in America but returns with his parents to Pakistan each summer. As Staples investigates the perspectivesof the three main characters, Shabanu, Mumtaz and Jameel, she shows how each feels disjointed from the family but remains bound by ancient traditions. Western and Islamic ways clash, yet the author so thoroughly immerses readers in the setting that few will want to judge. Like most of Staples's fiction, this work significantly enlarges the reader's understanding of a complex society. Ages 12-up.

April 1, 2008
Gr 7-10-Splendidly drawn characters caught between ancient Pakistani traditions and modern Western influences mark this strong sequel to Staples's "Shabanu" (1989) and "Haveli" (1993, both Knopf). For 10 years, Mumtaz has lived uneasily with her deceased father's extended family, sent there when her mother, Shabanu, staged her own death to protect her daughter from her treacherous Uncle Nazir. Attending a modern school and doted on by her grandfather Baba, a tribal patriarch who embraces Western ways of thinking, Mumtaz treasures the arrival each summer of her skateboarding cousin and best friend Jameel, who lives in California with his parents. At 15, Mumtaz is thrown into emotional disarray when she learns that Shabanu is alive and in hiding nearby. Then Baba's unexpected death prompts Jameel's succession as tribal leader, and the edict that Jameel and Mumtaz are to be married leaves the teens reeling. The richly detailed backdrop of upper-class Pakistani life in Lahore ranges from private country clubs to open-air markets, with exotic touches such as secret messages sent by pigeons. Staples adds a supernatural element via the djinn who appears to Mumtaz and Jameel in the form of Baba, offering posthumous guidance and protection. The author explores the role of educated women in traditional Islamic society, the importance of family and tribe in the Pakistani social structure, and the impact of Western education on emerging leadership through the candid reactions, honest emotions, and complex relationships of multidimensional people. Their story moves along quickly and intensely with elements of intrigue and adventure, holding readers' attention and sympathies."Joyce Adams Burner, Hillcrest Library, Prairie Village, KS"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2008
Even readers who know theNewbery Honor Book Shabanu (1989) and its sequel, Haveli (1993), may find it hard to keep track of whos who in thisfollow-up, whichunfolds through several switching narratives. Mumtaz, 15, has been raised by her hostile relative in contemporary Pakistan.When her mother, Shabanu, reappears after 10 years in hiding, Mumtaz must cope withthe anger, depression, and guilt thatresults fromtheir awkward reunion. Her cousin Jameel, also 15, lives most of the year in San Francisco, where he plans to attend college and loves blonde Chloe. When he returns toLahore each year, he feels caught between two worlds. Thenthe teens beloved, powerful baba dies, leavingdirections: Jameel and Mumtaz must marry. The cousins are best friends, butwhy should they marry and give up plans they have for the future?Readers will ponder the questions about responsibity and freedom Staples raisesin the intriguing marriage drama.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)