Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, June 1, 2008 (Vol. 76, No. 11))
Marston's timely and engaging collection of eight short stories offers provocative snapshots of Arab teenagers growing up in environments riddled with religious, historical and cultural dilemmas. These teens confront common coming-of-age issues as well as their unique indigenous challenges. In war-weary Baghdad, Amal discovers that a gift for her teacher comes at a high price. In ancient Damascus, Suhayl copes with his parents' divorce by making a special meal for the mother he must leave. In Lebanon, Aneesi chooses between an arranged marriage and her own dreams. In occupied Palestine, Mujahhid wages his own jihad against Israeli soldiers. Uprooted from modern Cairo, Rania defies her urbane mother by consorting with a village girl. In historic Tunisia, Hedi discovers he may have a future beyond selling hats to tourists. In Jordan, Yasmine wonders what is honorable about a family who would murder a daughter to save face. In a bleak Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, Rami finds the perfect wife for his brother. Amid unrest, resilient Arab teens find courage and hope and offer inspiration. (notes) 2008, Indiana Univ., 216p. Category: Fiction. Ages 10 to 15. Starred Review. © 2008 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Claire Rosser (KLIATT Review, July 2008 (Vol. 42, No. 4))
Some of these stories have been previously published, especially in the collection Figs and Fate: Stories about Growing Up in the Arab World Today (2005). If your library owns that volume, perhaps you don’t need to purchase this collection. The first story, the title story, is set in Baghdad in 2000. The family is struggling to survive with the embargo, forced to sell precious family possessions to buy medicine. As bad as it is, we all know that families have suffered much worse in Baghdad in the years since 2000. Other stories tell of Arab young people in a variety of countries, in various circumstances. Some are peasants, some are from well-educated families; some have fiercely enforced traditions (such as protecting a family’s honor when a girl is seen as a flirt); some are caught up in uprisings. Marston provides 14 pages of notes of information giving context for each story. Reading this collection will be invaluable for Arab American YAs and for all in our culture eager to understand the Arab culture, the Middle East conflicts, and current events. Category: Short Stories. KLIATT Codes: JSA--Recommended for junior and senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 2008, Indiana University Press, 198p. notes., $15.95. Ages 12 to adult.

Beth E. Andersen (VOYA, August 2008 (Vol. 31, No. 3))
The tragedy of peaceful citizens caught up in the savagery of occupation, civil strife, class prejudices, and deadly rituals are brought to life in Marston's collection of stories about Middle Eastern teens. The cover tale is a moving remake of O. Henry's classic Gift of the Magi. Iraqi schoolchildren want to honor their departing teacher with a special gift. The value of friendship, the easy ingenuity of children, and the deep longing for learning, which are recurring themes in many of these stories, are strongly evidenced. The brutal treatment of women in Jordan is addressed in Honor as Wafa watches in horror when her family imprisons her cousin who has been seen talking to a boy. The run-up to an honor killing and the efforts by human rights organizations in Jordan to stop the killings takes the reader step-by-step through the capture of the disgraced girl by hooded assailants. The plight of Palestinian refugees in Lebanese camps lays out the path from numbing despair to the lure of the terrorist life. The camps are filled with demoralized young men who cannot get work or who have had to drop out of college, with no way to improve their lives. Marston's characters, however, are able to find another way. In these and other stories, Marston, who has lived and visited the countries of which she writes, offers a realistic portrait of the Middle East that mixes possiblity and bleakness in equal measure. VOYA CODES: 5Q 4P M J S (Hard to imagine it being any better written; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2008, Indiana University Press, 216p.; Source Notes., $15.95. Ages 11 to 18.