- Hardcover: 222 pages
- Publisher: Groundwood (Aug 5 2008)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 088899902X
- ISBN-13: 978-0888999023
- Product Dimensions: 18 x 13.7 x 2.3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 295 g
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #232,836 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Product Details |
Product Description
Quill & Quire
From the age of six, Amani has wanted to follow in her beloved grandfather’s footsteps and become a shepherd. Despite the tradition that only boys tend sheep, she is most at home on the mountains and among thes olive groves surrounding her home in Palestine, where her grandfather Seedo tutors her in shepherdry and life. Seedo surprises the family when he passes his crook to Amani, but she shines in her role as a 21st-century shepherd, e-mailing a government vet and incorporating the latest methods of animal husbandry into her world. Amani’s flock – and her family – are threatened, however, by encroaching Jewish settlements that occupy traditional grazing grounds and ultimately lead to the destruction of the family’s home and farmlands. In one frightening incident, Amani’s sheep are poisoned. When her uncle and father are jailed for opposing Israeli actions, help comes from unlikely sources, including a rabbi and Christian peacemakers, who enable Amani’s father to return and the family to rebuild. The Shepherd’s Granddaughter is a well-intentioned, very earnest narrative that aims to foster international harmony by educating young readers. (A portion of the book’s royalties will go to the Children in Crisis Fund of the International Board on Books.) Accordingly, the book invites parallels to the work of Deborah Ellis, but unlike Ellis, Anne Laurel Carter has trouble keeping her fiction from becoming secondary to the issues with which it grapples. Also, this novel has enough material for a whole series of books, and it gets overwhelmed by a series of underdeveloped subplots – Amani’s mystical encounters with a wolf and her budding crush on an American-born Jewish boy are two key examples – that fragment the narrative’s focus and undermine its realism. This is a shame, because Amani is a likably plucky character with whom readers will empathize.
Review
"Information-packed but never didactic. . . . The integration of Arabic and Hebrew words adds flavor to the text. . . . Fluid writing and straightforward storytelling make this a pleasure to read, despite the sensitive subject matter. Thoughtful and engaging." --Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
". . . a hard – hitting, thought-provoking, troublesome book. The Shepherd’s Granddaughter centres upon the issue of Israeli-Palestinian relations and the on-going conflict over land. . . . Carter’s work provides and opportunity for middle and high school readers to gain further information about their world. . ." --CM Magazine
"The characters are well developed and the plot progresses to enlighten the readers about the struggles, thoughts and fears of the average Palestinian. Highly recommended for everyone." -- Resource Links
". . . Amani is a wonderful character that readers will empathize with and enjoy. . . . a swift and thought-provoking read, and one which will hopefully transform the readers' view of this very difficult topic and open up discussion . . ." -- Children's Book News
"The sympathies of the novel are consistently apparent, yet its strong polemical element never overwhelms its more general human interest elements. The story balances an economical style with a well paced presentation of Amani's growth in body and in perspective, her discovery of her gender and its implications for her aspirations, and her discovery of her skills, both as a shepherd and as a student." --Canadian Literature
". . . a hard – hitting, thought-provoking, troublesome book. The Shepherd’s Granddaughter centres upon the issue of Israeli-Palestinian relations and the on-going conflict over land. . . . Carter’s work provides and opportunity for middle and high school readers to gain further information about their world. . ." --CM Magazine
"The characters are well developed and the plot progresses to enlighten the readers about the struggles, thoughts and fears of the average Palestinian. Highly recommended for everyone." -- Resource Links
". . . Amani is a wonderful character that readers will empathize with and enjoy. . . . a swift and thought-provoking read, and one which will hopefully transform the readers' view of this very difficult topic and open up discussion . . ." -- Children's Book News
"The sympathies of the novel are consistently apparent, yet its strong polemical element never overwhelms its more general human interest elements. The story balances an economical style with a well paced presentation of Amani's growth in body and in perspective, her discovery of her gender and its implications for her aspirations, and her discovery of her skills, both as a shepherd and as a student." --Canadian Literature
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
Customer Reviews
|
There are no customer reviews yet on Amazon Canada
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3.7 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)
23 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Well written fiction showing a conflict from one point of view, Jan 13 2010
By M. Knapp "Maggie Knapp" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Shepherd's Granddaughter (Hardcover)
I have looked at this book several times and was always put off by the cover. Last night I started reading it and was immediately drawn in. The story follows independent Amani (starting from age 6 to mid-teens) as she and her close-knit Palestinian family deal with the conflict with Israel. I am not able to speak to the accuracy of the portrayal of politics in the book, and it is obvious this story is told from Amani's point of view. All that aside, the story is riveting, Amani and her family are wonderfully rich characters, and I predict you will find the book hard to put down. This book would spark an interesting discussion on the conflict Middle East, and could be a stepping stone to finding other books (both fiction and nonfiction) that portrayed the situation from the Israeli point of view. Suggestion to the publisher: add a map, and change the cover.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Important book that offers much for discussion!, May 13 2010
By Staci "Life in the Thumb" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Shepherd's Granddaughter (Paperback)
When I finished this book I couldn't for the life of me understand why anyone would want to remove it from libraries. This book does not make Israeli's out to be evil people, but it does bring to light some of the issues that Palestinian's live with on a daily basis. I feel that this book is important because it gives notice to both sides of the story and portrays each side in favorable and unfavorable lights. Yes, Israeli's are portrayed, at times, as tyrants pushing their way into the lands occupied by Palestinians. But then the author shows how some Palestinian's want to react with violence and threats. We all know that this way of dealing with conflict can not continue, but how do you stop it??? Well, it sure as hell isn't by censoring and removing books that certain groups of people take issue with. We start by educating our children and showing them that violence, no matter which side of the fence you're on, is not the answer. And hope and pray that this new generation of humans will somehow bridge this cultural difference. Will it happen? I don't know, this conflict is ancient, but I do know that we need to have honest, thoughtful discussions about the issues. I for one will be talking about this book to the students at my school that I feel will appreciate the story within the covers and be smart enough to start asking questions, investigate, and make an informed decision about how they feel in regards to this situation. I urge you, the reader, to pick this book up and make that decision for yourself...should we allow groups who don't like that another point of view (other than theirs) is being brought to light and they want to stop you from questioning the information that you've gathered from the nightly news, newspaper, magazine, and the internet get away with censorship?????? Regardless of where you stand on this issue, this book deserves to be on the shelves of libraries worldwide. I am one librarian who will make sure that the copy at my middle school is never pulled from circulation.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Moving Insight ..., April 22 2010
By Busy Mom - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Shepherd's Granddaughter (Paperback)
I have only become interested in the Middle Eastern conflict because it seems that there is more to the eye than what is being printed in the media. This book is definitely one of them. I am also starting a collection of books for my sons to read; books that are being banned in other countries or talk about controversial issues that we may not be aware of. This book is definitely going to be included in that personal library.
In this book, we meet Amani, who wants nothing more than to be a shepherd like her grandfather. Throughout this entire book, the story tells of how the Jewish settlers keep invading in the land that her ancestors have lived upon for hundreds of years. Not only that, the story also shows how her uncle and even her father got arrested for nothing more than being in the wrong place at the wrong time. There is anger being stirred up especially towards the end, but Amani and her family find encouragement and support from the least likely supporters that she would have never imagined.
It is an insightful book and so very beautifully written. It is a moving account of a story told from a young child's eyes. If nothing else, this book will at least open your eyes to the fact that there are two sides to every conflict.
4/22/10
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
