Persimmons and Hope

   Simple, refreshing, and delectable.  Both the fruit and the novel Under the Persimmons Tree written by Suzanne Simmons offer a fresh insight into current times and current trials.  Najmah is a young girl, early in her teen years, that experiences severe grief , turmoil, and despair.  She lives in northern Afghanistan and the time period is October 2001.  A month beforehand, the United States was attacked in multiple locations by Al Qaeda.  Now, military action was being pursued in killing those responsible of the lives lost here in America.

    Nusrat, another main character in this story, is much older than Najmah.  Her American name was Elaine and she was from Orange County, New York.  Under a scary circumstance of being robbed, she met her husband Faiz.  He lived across from her in New York City.  They began a life in New York, but decided to come to Faiz's roots in Pakistan where his country was in need.  Elaine had converted to Muslim religion where Faiz gave her the name, Nusrat, which means "Help".  Nusrat is lonely waiting for word from her husband, who has decided to set up an emergency clinic  for his fellow citizens in Mazar-i-Sharif.  Nusrat longs for helping children, which she offers at her home schooling for children.  She provides food for these starving children, as well as an education.  She teaches them about astronomy and life's lessons.  Helping these innocent children learn to count and write letters distracts her longing for her husband to return.
   The other story that is intertwined with Nusrat is Najmah.  As stated, Najmah was a young girl that lived in the fields of northern Afghanistan.  She witnessed her brother and father being taken from the Taliban and forced into warfare.  Then, her most horrific experience was the death of her mother and baby Habib.  When picked up, her hair was cut and she was disguised as a boy.  She did not speak for many weeks afterward, protecting herself and her identity.  There was a long march to the camps where families were gathering.  She was in pursuit of finding her father and brother.  She remained loyal to her father's promise of keeping the land, and when she returns, she will fight for her father's land from the Uncle.  Through serious trials and starvation periods, young Najmah and Nusrat are brought together when Najmah makes it to Pakistan on foot.
   Their relationship is unique and strong.  They both long for their families, and both long for love.  Faiz, Babajan, and Nur are missing from their lives but hope carries them through the days that they will be reunited again.  Though it is only Nur that returns, it brings peace to both ladies.
   I would use this text as a supplemental aid in my classroom in conjunction to a social studies lesson.  I found the text to be riveting, and I had to keep reminding myself that it occurred in the present day.  So many times I found myself thinking this was a novel written years and years ago because of the suppressed economy.  I think this would also be a great "book club" option for females (if the groups were to be chosen by choice).  Girls would have an eye-opener to how women protect themselves and present themselves in Pakistan.

    In reference to the textbook, Young Adult Literature in the Classroom, historical fiction is crucial to have in every classroom.  "Readers of historical fiction gain an understanding of their own heritage" (71).  I think students can reflect a lot more on their life, and the lives of others.  Young readers need characters to whom they can identify with.  Nusrat and Najmah are both intricate characters that can easily obtain this.  One thing to consider is balance in viewpoint: how many main characters are from the perspective of a boy.  This is a great reading selection from those of the female perspective.   It brings back September 11, 2001, and where we were.  As each ear passes and each class gets younger, I realize the eighth graders now were barely in preschool.  Their memories were vague, so books like this can help bring understanding to how the world changed after our attacks.  One suggestion, mentioned on page 79, incorporates living scenes.  I think many scenes can be illustrated from this novel of Najmah's journey, Nusrat's persimmon garden, Najmah being reuinted with her brother, etc.  Different groups can depict different  scenes from the text to help bring it to life.