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Summary: Middle East Historical Fiction
Review: Buran and her six sisters were born to a poor merchant who never makes enough money to take his family out of poverty. His brother, however, is a very rich merchant. He has six sons and he often comes to his brother's house or shop with one of his sons just for the purpose of gloating. Buran has been far more educated than any other girl because her father wanted someone to play chess with him and talk and write with him and because she is the one who wants to learn, he teaches her many things.
After one of her uncle's visits, which made her father particularly unhappy, Buran puts forward an idea which she has been thinking for a while. She asks her father to make an investment with the tiny amount of money he has saved up. She asks him to invest in her. She wants to dress as a boy and go to the coast to make much money as a merchant. Her mother thinks this is a bad idea because girls are not supposed to make money, but her father gives her free rein.
On her way to the coast in a caravan, she wants to save money, so she travels as a servant. Her master is cruel to her during the days, but at night, he teaches her the way of a merchant. When she finally gets to the city, she pays off the merchant who taught her everything she knows extremely quickly, and then proceeds to make enough money to live extremely richly, and send enough money back to her family so they can live very richly. While there she makes a new friend, but fears that if she reveals her true identity to him, he would hate her. When he comes close to figuring it out on his own, she runs away. During her journey home, she doubles her riches, as well as playing a clever trick on her cousins. If I include any more, I'll give away the entire plot, and you won't have to read the book.
The book was very, very good. There was nothing wrong with it. It goes with the classic plot of society thinks girls are stupid, main character proves them wrong in a big way, good stuff happens to main character. Another example of this plot is Mulan.
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Summary: Enchanting storyteller opens a prize with "Seven Daughters"
Review: "Seven Daughters and Seven Sons" is a remarkable folk tale of the Middle East. I have always been enchanted by Arabic culture and the colors and stories of their nation. This book is a simple love story, and yet, is filled with such emotion on the part of the characters that one cannot help but be drawn into the weaving of the fantastic tale. A great book for young an old alike, and one that can be read over and over again with renewed excitement.
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Summary: A good book
Review: ... This book was just as good the second time around! If you like books that deal with Middle Eastern cultures, this is a very good book to read. It is based on an ancient Persian myth. The authors do a very good job with the story. Their protagonists, Buran and Mahmud are well developed and likeable. The story moves quickly and the plot is also well developed. Anyone interested in stories like this should read this book.
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Summary: A good book
Review: ... This book was just as good the second time around! If you like books that deal with Middle Eastern cultures, this is a very good book to read. It is based on an ancient Persian myth. The authors do a very good job with the story. Their protagonists, Buran and Mahmud are well developed and likeable. The story moves quickly and the plot is also well developed. Anyone interested in stories like this should read this book.
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Summary: Great Love Story for teenagers and adults alike
Review: A great arabian adapted tale. Since the review didn't give the greatest points of the story, I'll give a description of the story: There are 2 brothers. 1 man has 7 daughters, the other man has 7 sons. Naturally, in those days, sons were more valuable than daughters, and it shows. The man w/sons was wealthier than the man w/daughters. When the man w/daughters falls into debt, the man's youngest and fiestiest daughter decides to dress and pass as a man, to become a merchant in the city to earn money. When this plan begins, she, now a he, becomes a merchant, quickly pacing to the top of the merchants. Then one of her frequent and best customers, a prince, begin socializing, at baths and outings, harems, and drinking. Gradually, they become best friends and trust each other with their deepest secrets and confessions. But the prince is confused by the sexual tension he feels for the merchant, and comes up with schemes to see if he is actually a she. In the end, when a plan gets to big for the female merchant to lie, she buys tickets back home to her parents. But for months the prince tries to search for her, knowing that he was a she actually. So in love with her that he wants to marry her. Read this touching and emotional book to see if they prince finds his merchant lover.
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Summary: Seven Daughters and Seven Sons
Review: I first read this book about ten years ago, and since then I've read it hundreds of times. Its my favorite book and I highly recommend it. Set in Ancient Bagdad/Tyre, the story is about a crafty and intelligent girl named Buran who disguises herself as a boy named Nasir to save her family from poverty, and finds love along the way.
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Summary: A Modern Woman
Review: I first time I read this book, I was in fourth grade. It was recommended by my older sister and I absolutely loved it! I never found this book again until I was almost in high school, at our small public library. When the library lost the only copy it had, I was devastated, and determined to get a copy of my own. I looked far and wide, just like Buran, and finally turned to Amazon and found it! Well, if that doesn't convince everyone to pick up this book and read it, at least once, I just don't know what will. Buran was an inspiration through all my younger years, and now she's a modern hero. A modern WOMAN hero!
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Summary: It is an awesome read
Review: I have loved this book since seventh grade, I read it again in high-school, and a couple times in college. It is such a great story with strong characters and a wonderful plot line. I recommend it to all ages.
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Summary: One of the best books ever!
Review: I have probably read this book every two years since I was 10. Very few books can make me laugh and cry the way this one did. Everybody I've recommended it to, young and old, has loved it. A great book, especially for young women. The heroine is an excellent role model. Plus, it's a great story.
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Summary: Excellent read
Review: I just finished this book as a prelude to using it in a 5th and 6th grade literature group. I am anxious to read this book with the kids who will relate, not only to the geographic areas, since we just finished a unit on Mesopotamia, but also to the age old story of making personal decisions that have an impact on the lives of many. In this world of male versus female struggles, we see that even in Ancient Persia, Buran, a female, makes a success of herself (although disguised as a man) and yet never divulges her true feelings for the Prince of Tyre. She is a woman that females and males can look up to and admire for her wisdom and dedication to family. A wonderful read for everyone.
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