Twelve-year-old Amal's dream of becoming a teacher one day is dashed in an instant when she accidentally insults a member of her Pakistani village's ruling family. As punishment for her behavior, she is forced to leave her heartbroken family behind and go work at their estate. Amal is distraught but has faced setbacks before. So she summons her courage and begins navigating the complex rules of life as a servant, with all its attendant jealousies…
4.4Overall Score
Amal Unbound
Reader's Review An engaging novel written for children ages 9-13, but dealing with very heavy topics of injustice, landownership, corruption, violence, and gender equality. While the story is ...
Reader’s Review
An engaging novel written for children ages 9-13, but dealing with very heavy topics of injustice, landownership, corruption, violence, and gender equality. While the story is well developed, and readers will find themselves rooting for the main character, the heaviness of the themes may be too much for sensitive readers.
To look out for
- Islamic Values: Amal is very good friends with her neighbor Omar, even though it is frowned on by her society. There is also a lot of discussion of the lower value of daughters in society
- Violence: Mention of a village that was burned down to the ground by gang leaders. Two people are found murdered. Amal and her friends overhear where the landowner buried the body of the man he had had murdered. Amal is slapped by the master of the house, and threatened by him.
Purchase on: Amazon
