Beneath my Mother's Feet by Amjed Qamar

Beneath my Mother's Feet by Amjed Qamar is about Nazia, a 14 year old girl living with her family in Karachi, Pakistan. When her father is injured at the construction site where he works, Nazia and her mother must find work of their own to make ends meet. They become "masis" or maids, for rich women living in the most expensive homes in the nicest neighborhoods. Nazia thinks it will only be temporary and that she'll return to school soon, but eventually she realizes that her father has no plans to return to work and that her older brother stole everything of value in their apartment and disappeared. With her whole world turned upside down and the responsibilities of an adult on her shoulders, Nazia isn't sure anything will work out in the end. Things take a surprising turn in the end, and help comes from unexpected places. Through it all, Nazis grows up and learns a lot about herself, her family, her true friends, and the world around her.

I really liked this book. It was interesting to see how the relationship between Nazia, her mother, her father, and her siblings developed and changed over time. I also really liked the descriptions of daily life of the working class in Karachi. I found myself really identifying with Nazia as she turned from an innocent school girl to a working woman, all in the span of a few months.

Click here to read an interview with Amjed Qamar and Mary Lee Hahn at A Year of Reading Blogspot.