The Shadows of Ghadames

Stolz, Joelle. 1999. The Shadows of Ghadames. New York: Delacorte. ISBN 0-385-73104-3.

Malika is a twelve-year-old Berber girl living in Libya in the late 1800s. She is ambivalent about growing up and following upper-class women’s traditions, which dictate that she must never again leave her house - except to visit with other women in the separate women’s city that is formed by the rooftops of everyone’s houses. When the women of her household shelter an injured man, he teaches her to read. In the process Malika comes to realize that there are many ways to travel and that some of them will be open to her as long as she chooses them to be.

Stolz’ description of the rooftops of Ghadames is vivid and appealing. She avoids easy moralizing about the place of women in society; one of the things I appreciated about the book is that the author presents various views on the subject, all held by likeable women who we can respect.

It’s unclear from the text that this story takes place in the nineteenth century, which I suppose is realistic; it’s not as if real people normally go around announcing what century it is. However, I wish that Stolz had found a way to give us that information, because without reading the author’s note at the end, readers will find it easy to think that this is a description of how people live in Libya today.

I was particularly glad to read this book because I knew so little about the culture already. When I read historical novels set in periods and places I know more about, I don’t have to rely so much on cues in the text; this book reminded me of the strategies kids will need to find meaning in context when they’re reading about unfamiliar times and places.

In Booklist, Gillian Engberg writes, “The story of an outsider who unsettles a household and helps a young person to grow is certainly nothing new, and some of the lessons here are purposeful. But Stolz invigorates her tale with elegant prose and a deft portrayal of a girl verging on adolescence. The vivid backdrop is intoxicating, but the story's universal concerns will touch readers most: sibling jealously, confusion about adult customs, and a growing interest in a world beyond family.”

I agree with what Engberg says about the universal themes of this novel. I think this would be a great book for discussion in a class or book club for that reason. Especially in a diverse group of kids, everyone could learn about what’s universal about growing up and what’s particular to various cultures and time periods.

Engberg, Gillian. Booklist. Qtd in Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Ghadames-Joelle-Stolz/dp/0440419492/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-8764502-2619128?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1181334582&sr=1-1.