A spellbinding, lyrical tale that will capture readers, hearts and souls.
Ever since her father's death, Nadira, her mother, and her little brother have been living with her aunt and uncle. But times are hard for this Pakistani family, and her uncle is an uncaring man. To make money, he sells her little brother, only six years old, to some men who will force him to be a camel jockey. It is a tragic occurrence happening all over the Middle East: Young boys are being kidnapped or sold into a life that is brutal, savage, and often deadly, merely because they are so small that they make good jockeys.
Nadira is spoiled goods. Scars from a beating she received for a crime that her older brother allegedly committed tell the world that she is worth less than nothing -- except to her little brother, Umar, who sees beauty in her scars and value in her. For Umar, Nadira will risk everything. So she disguises herself as a boy and searches out the men who took him. They are not hard to find, and soon she, too, is headed to the desert to be a camel jockey.
Life in the desert is more brutal than Nadira imagined. All she has to protect her and the boys she meets are a bit of chai tea, some stories, and the hope that she has enough of both to keep going until she finds Umar.
Ages: 14+
