Book Review: Seven Daughters and Seven Sons

 And now it's time for a book review. Soooo. I was skeptical about this book, like a lot... It was one of those books where a friend recommends it, but you don't really get around to reading it, and then your mom makes you read it out of courtesy..... And then you are pleasantly surprised! Anywho, here we go!

 In an ancient Arab nation, one woman dares to be different.

    Buran cannot - Buran will not - sit quietly at home and wait to be married to the man her father chooses. Determined to use her skills and earn a fortune, she instead disguises herself as a boy and travels by camel  caravan to a distant city. There, she maintains her masculine disguise and establishes a successful business. The city's crown prince comes often to her shop, and soon Buran finds herself falling in love. But if she reveals to Mahmud that she is a woman, she will lose everything she has worked for. 

By Barbara Cohen and Bahija LoveJoy

     So as I mentioned before, I wasn't that excited about this book. The fact that it started out with what sounded like a lineage, (it lasts for a sentence, don't worry!!) had me worried. But, it picks up really quickly, and becomes an intriguing story line. I have always liked historical fiction, and it was no different with this one.  The book was written really well, it was easy to read, and yet retained its quality. The first half of the book is narrated by Buran, and the second half is narrated by Mahmud, her love interest, and then it goes back to Buran narrating.  At first the switches are a bit tricky, you find yourself thinking,... "okay, who said that?" but then you get used to it. It wasn't that bad though and it was certainly a clever way for you to get to know Mahmud better.

    A large themes with this book was how women were viewed back then. Aka: weak, stupid, delicate creatures who should have no say in their future, or anything else for that matter.  Now I don't mean to sound feministic, but I really like how Buran rejects this idea, and goes out to prove, if only to herself and her parents that she is fully capable of everything a man is. You go girl!! :)

   Annnnddd then romance begins to blossom..... which is awesome. This romance was sweet and innocent, and isn't graphic or gross, yet will satisfy the most romantic book lover. (me) I won't give away to much, because well just because. :) Have fun dying because of the suspense!!

   As for content, this book was very clean! The romance, as above stated, is innocent and pure, and though there are a few spots that imply or speak about sex and such; don't worry,  these don't go anywhere, and are not stated in a crude or inappropriate way. One thing I found a bit awkward, (and this is just me) is that for a bit during the romance, *SPOILER* Mahmud is falling in love with Buran, but at that point, is unsure of whether or not she is a woman. So he is describing the things he is feeling and wanting and such, yet is still trying to find out if she is a woman. *END OF SPOILER*  So I found that a bit weird at times, although if you remember that Buran (or Nasir, as we know her when she is in disguise) is a woman, it really is quite sweet. Besides that, the only other thing I would mention is that the characters are muslim, so there is a prayer or two to allah, and they will often speak of the "will of allah" and such, and of course there are all the muslim customs, like wearing the head coverings and such. Everything else is clean from what I can remember!!

  All in all, I would say definitely read this book, it is a lovely romance/ drama, and I would highly recommend it!! ( I read it in approximately a day, so it has to be good, right?)

My Rating: 8 out of 10