When the Moon Was Ours

Gr 9 Up—Best friends Miel and Sam are outsiders in the small community in which they live: Samir, owing in part to his painting of moons, which he hangs in the trees, and Miel because she appears to have spilled out of the water tower when she was a young girl and because of the roses that grow out of her wrist. Their relationship blossoms into tentative romance as each harbors closely guarded secrets. Miel helps guard Sam's secret that he is participating in the Pakistani tradition of bacha posh (where families without sons let one daughter act as a son until adulthood), yet concealing from everyone the secrets of her own past and family. Enter the Bonner girls, four gorgeous sisters who have control over the hearts of many in the town. As the sisters' power and influence wane, they desire Miel's roses, which they feel can propel them back to the status they desire, and they are willing to expose any secrets she or her loved ones share to get them. Beautifully written, this novel is full of rich vocabulary and eloquent descriptions. The elements of magical realism drive a romantic story interlaced with cultural traditions.