The Shadows of Ghadames

Bibliography

Stolz, Joelle. The Shadows of Ghadames. Translated by Temerson. New York: Delacorte Press, 1999. ISBN 0-385-73104-3

Plot Summary
The Shadows of Ghadmes is the story of Malika an adolescent girl living in nineteenth century Libya. Malika lives with her father, mother, father’s second wife and brother in the city of Ghadames. Women are not allowed to walk on the streets-culture dictates that they stay in the house and on the rooftops. Men are not allowed on the rooftops. Women have their own society there and communicate with each other by traveling from roof top to roof top. Malika yearns to travel and see the places that her father travels to for his business but she is not even allowed to accompany him to the city’s edge. The story begins as her father is preparing to leave on a long journey. During the night, Malika is woken by a cry. She gets up to see if she can see anything and finds that her father’s second wife, Bilkisu is also awake. Together they decide to step out into the street to investigate. There they find a stranger who had been persued by an angry mob. He is injured and not conscious. Bilkisu decides to bring him in to the house to nurse him. Bilkisu and Malika worry about Jasim, Malika’s brother and her son. If he finds the man in the house they know that he will tell and get them into much trouble. Bilkisu decides to declare Jasim as an adult, thus barring him from the roof and any chance that he would see the man. Together, Bilkisu, Malika and Meriem nurse the stranger back to health. Each woman and the stranger are affected in ways unexpected in such a rigid culture.

Critical Analysis
The Shadows of Ghadmes was written in French by Joelle Stolz. In 2004, it was translated by Catherine Temerson. In the author’s note, Stolz tells us that the story in imaginary but that the city of Ghadmes is a real place in southern Libya. Her research took her to both the present day setting of the region as well as the old city. While there, the people guided her around the old city and described what life was like when they were young and lived on the rooftops.
Told from Malika’s point of view the reader learns a great deal about the Berber culture of that time. Readers learn of the religion-Muslim and the language-Arabic by the conversations that take place between the characters and Malika and in her head. Although there are no illustrations, the cover of the book is rich in details about the women of Ghadames. You see the stylized architecture, rich colors and women working and resting on the rooftops. Stolz’s descriptions leads the reader to a true understanding of the life women led. Although the practice of taking two wives is not unheard of, it may be a little confusing to young readers. Malika tells of her family in a matter of fact way and it is not until the fourth chapter that readers learn in more detail about the marriage relationships in the book. On a trip to the baths, readers learn about how Malika’s family developed. “There are two wives in many Ghadames homes, the wife “from home” and the wife “from the journey”. Often, the wife from the journey comes from the south, like Bilkisu. Therefore many families in our city have two sets of descendants, one set with lighter skin and the other with darker skin, and the inheritance I divided equally between the two” (pg. 57). Stolz does a good job in helping readers see this culture-but mostly from the Malika’s point of view. She desires to do things that are pretty much unheard of in her community and in her mother’s eyes. She wants to learn to read, to travel and walk as the men do. In the end, the stranger persuades Meriem to let him teach Malika to read. Although not completely realized in this story, one can assume that this time period is the beginning of changes to come in the culture. It is interesting to note that it is the second wife, Bilkisu whose choice to bring the stranger into the house sets the tone for entire story. The issue of rivalry between the wives is mentioned briefly and Malika struggles to understand how her two mothers can live as they do. Religion seems to be the starting point in how this culture lives, but is not explained in detail. We learn that they are Muslim but the women also believe in goddesses, jinn(ghosts) and other superstitions such as reading fortunes. The point of view of the man is taken mostly from the fugitive that they rescue. He is indignant on several occasions-even when he wakes up to find himself in a home where the father/master is not present. Even so, he concedes that he would probably be dead if not for the women who are risking their lives and reputations to help him. His view of religions seems to be a more fundamental Muslim but he does not explain in any detail. Stolz has written a wonderful coming of age story that is surely to spark some interesting dialog in a classroom or book club setting.

Review Excerpts
Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Spring 2005)In Libya in the late nineteenth century, eleven-year-old Malika longs to experience life beyond the rooftop confines of women. Her mother is cautious and obedient, but her father's second wife risks being disowned to shelter an injured young man preaching Muslim fundamentalism, who then teaches Malika to read. This French import tells an engaging story of changing visions of people and places.

Elizabeth D. Schafer (Children's Literature)
This novel’s females are independent, strong, and resourceful, mentoring each other, questioning rules, and adjusting societal expectations.

Connections
Vocabulary: caravan, Berber, Muslim, Moslems, henna Tuareg, seguias, malafa, Iforhas
This is an excellent book to use to compare and contrast lives of girls in different cultures.
Books: Shadow Spinner by Susan Fletcher and Homeless Bird by GloriaWhelan