Under the Persimmon Tree by Suzanne Fisher Staples

(Young Adult) An American woman named Elaine (Islamic name – Nusrat) marries a doctor from Afghanistan and the two move back to this war-torn country to start a school and help the Afghani people escape the tyrannical rule of the Taliban. There is also a secondary story line about a young girl named Najmah whose father and older brother are conscripted by the Taliban. After bombs and bullets murder her mother and baby brother, Najmah escapes to Pakistan, and that’s where the two narratives come together. Nusrat is longing for her missing husband who has started a clinic in a nearby town, and Najmah is searching for her lost father and brother. This story authentic and moving – a despairing picture of life in the Middle East. Favorite Quote: “The Taliban have said the only thing people can do to enjoy themselves is to walk in the garden and smell the flowers. But ever since the Taliban came to power five years ago, there has been drought.”