Seven Daughters and Seven Sons

The fourth of seven daughters, Buran grew into young womanhood keenly conscious of the fact that her gentle father, known throughout Baghdad as Abu al-Banat, or "the father of daughters," was considered unlucky to have had so many female children, but no son. Taught to read and write, and to play chess - unusual pursuits for a girl in the medieval Arab world - she had a sharp mind, and when her father grew ill, she convinced him to send her out into the world to make her fortune, just like her wealthy, male cousins. Eventually making her way to the coastal city of Tyre, Buran - now disguised as a young man named Nasir - succeeds in her goal, becoming a wealthy merchant, and the friend of Mahmud, the son of the Wali of Tyre. But is show more friendship enough for "Nasir" and Mahmud? And how will Buran fare when she meets her arrogant cousins again - the seven sons of her father's brother, who showed such contempt for her and her sisters, when they were still poor...?

Apparently based upon a well-known Iraqi folktale, first recorded in the eleventh century, Seven Daughters and Seven Sons is a story I have enjoyed reading many times, since first picking it up more than a decade ago. Although I did not first encounter it in youth, I suspect that if I had, I would have considered it a favorite. Told from alternating perspectives - first Buran's, then Mahmud's, then Buran's again - the story is immediately and lastingly engrossing, and although there are few surprises, it is ultimately quite satisfying to watch Buran succeed at her goal, and get her heart's desire as well. American author Barbara Cohen has produced many children's books, but her co-author, expatriate Iraqi Bahija Lovejoy, only ever produced this book, and a few others, which look to be non-fiction. I rather wish that this team had produced more - perhaps another tale based on Iraqi lore? However that may be, I'm grateful they did write Seven Daughters and Seven Sons, which I reread from time to time, when in need of a comfort read. Recommended to anyone looking for fiction based on folklore, or to those seeking children's fiction set in the Middle East and/or featuring strong girl characters. show less

Sought this out for #disguisedasaboy queer/trans subtext, and it delivers.

To tell the truth, after twelve weeks among men only, after twelve weeks without ever looking at my own self, I'd almost forgotten I was a woman. That doesn't mean I thought of myself as a man. I was only me, Nasir.

The author definitely didn't understand the subtext she was putting down, the speed it was squashed. I would bet it's actually anachronistic that none of these rich boys has ever heard of homosexuality, although I don't have citations for this.

I found the beginning slow but it sped up considerably. Instead of discovering magic powers, the characters are learning about the obscure and mystical powers of capitalism. Not interesting to me at all, show more personally, but I thought it was well done - it's clear what Buran/Nasir likes about it.

It's interesting how learning Arabic has changed how I see some stylistic translation choices! "O my father" sounds super formal in English, at least in part because it's so polysyllablic, but when it's a literal translation of "ya abbi" and you know that ya is an indispensable part of speech, you can see how it could actually be just a normal and familiar way to talk. show less

I really really liked this. I love stories based off of traditional tales, and even though I had never heard of the Iraqi folktale this book was based off it, I loved it.

It is a story of a girl who defies her culture's traditions, customs, and notions of a proper woman's place to make herself a success and save her family from poverty. It is also the story of love conquering all and being loved for who you are.

I need to look up the inspiration for this book.

I've reread this so many times I've lost count. Foreshadowing of my own trans journey, honestly...

The last time I read this YA novel I was actually in the intended age group. To my happy surprise, it is just as good as I remember. Based on an Iraqi legend, the novel follows Buran, one (the Elizabeth Bennet one, to be precise) of seven daughters of a poor father. To help her family get some badly needed money (and to avoid having to marry anyone unpleasant), Buran dresses up as a boy and sets off to make her fortune. Enter: one prince, and oh man, it's just so much fun. There's a truly fantastic scene where a disguised Buran and Prince Mahmud go for a walk at dusk, and then—as boys do—decide to play a little chase-y chase-y. When Mahmud catches Buran, he pins her against a wall and they have a total *moment*—at which point show more Mahmud of course has a minor gay freak out. I loved that scene when I was younger; I should not have been at all surprised when I grew up to be a slasher.

I only have two complaints, really, which are that Mahmud makes the leap from "I like my male best friend!" to "OMG, he must be a chick!" a bit too fast and too easily, and that their final reunion scene doesn't quite have the impact I would like. But those are both minor. So...besides this and "The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle," does anybody know of any other good crossdressing/genderfuck-y YA novels? show less

This is a YA retelling of an Arabian folktale, about a girl who disguises herself as a boy and moves to a new city to start a business in order to support her family, who are struggling to get by with seven daughters in need of a dowry and no sons to help out. Of course, she falls in love while in disguise, and various complications ensue.

The love story was actually the worst part by far; it's extremely simplistic and just generally disappointing (possible spoilers: I particularly didn't like the fact that he figured out she was a girl immediately upon realizing that he had feelings for her, because of course there was no other option, and the fact that just as he was about to find her again at the end, she chose that day to go for a show more long walk in the desert and managed to meet up with him en route--an annoying and unbelievable coincidence that added nothing to the plot).

I loved the book up until she met her romantic interest, though, and I would still cautiously recommend it. show less

3.5 stars

I found this book because it was recommended to me by coding sequence. When I clicked the title I was surprised to see that several of my friends had already read it. So, my question is, why didn't my "good" friends suggest it to me? Why did I have to wait for chance? I feel slightly betrayed. ;)

In this book, the villain in the story seems to be Buran's (and her sisters') feminine sex. They are wretchedly poor because her father has no sons. Buran decides to tackle the problem, refusing to be the victim of her culture. What I loved about this book is that her parents don't stand in her way. They believe in her and in her worth and ability as a person. The villain here is not the parents, a person, or other figure; the villain show more is society and culture. Although the uncle comes in a close second. :)

Though I was slightly put off by the section that had the male viewpoint (who gets that emotional even if they're female?) it wasn't all bad. But it definitely contributed to the lower score.

* Definitely a teen novel. show less