A review by kamckim
Under the Persimmon Tree by Suzanne Fisher Staples

4.0

I'm becoming a fan of Suzanne Fisher Staples. I first came across SHABANU when it was being taught as a classroom text for Grade 6. I remember that it was an excellent book that took place in a world that time seemed to have left untouched. Not so with this novel. When I finished UNDER THE PERSIMMON TREE, I immediately went to Staples' author page to see exactly how she could have described in detail the modern setting of Afghan refugees in Peshawar, the difference between Taliban and mujahideen, and the experience of an American who converts to Islam. It turns out her resume is impressive. She was a journalist and has traveled extensively in India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. It's fortunate for her reader that she turned her hand toward writing fiction. UNDER THE PERSIMMON TREE makes the plight of Afghanistan and Pakistan understandable on a very personal basis in a realistic way that leaves the reader better informed about the dangers of extremist religion. Her characters are lovingly and compassionately drawn. The end of the book leaves the reader wondering about the choices the characters make. Will they survive? How will they move on?