Broken Moon (review)

Nadira is an eighteen-year-old Pakistani girl, scarred in a revenge attack that left her unmarriageable and working as a servant in a wealthy household in Karachi, from where she writes to her six-year-old brother, Umar. When Umar is kidnapped into child labor as a camel jockey, a desperate Nadira disguises herself as a boy and sets out to find him, going undercover among the jockeys. Months later, at a regional race, Nadira both finds her brother and wins the race; though she's initially refused her freedom, she reveals her gender to the Sheikh's wife, describes the mistreatment of the many camel jockeys, and subsequently earns both her and Umar a ticket home, where she begins working with an agency to help the plight of the camel jockeys. The first section of the novel, which describes Nadira's family history and the cultural backdrop of her world, is the stronger of the two, with its rich descriptions of traditional ways and strong character development. Unfortunately, the novel shifts abruptly into a somewhat choppy adventure/thriller in the second part, culminating in a wholly unbelievable ending that tidily solves Nadira's dilemma and undermines the practice of enslaving young boys as camel riders. Nadira remains a likable and admirable character throughout, however, and those willing to see her through will find strength in her example. No note is provided, though a dedication recognizes the author's sister, who first told her of the real-life child-jockeys.