The Beduins' Gazelle

the book was beautifully written and shows exaclty how even bad people can have goodness in them to do the rigght thing. the book is a bout Halima(a girl slim and strong as th e date palm, fleet-foted as a gazelle) and the boy she is in love with, Atiyah(a boy of promise and hope, whose name means Gift of God). Atiyah has been sent away as a political pawn to study in Fez. As Halimas tribe moves to a new camp she is lost in a sandstorm and captured by an emeny tribe. The sheikh wishes to marry her in 3 moons time, the only way for that not to happen is if Atiyah comes to resue her.

The Bedouin's Gazelle - Even the name tastes of poetry. This lyrical story of young Halima and Atiyah is a magnificent word-picture of desert living in 1302 AD (680 of the Hegira according to the Muslim culture) - a place where "wool gathering" indicates molting camels as well as daydreaming, and nomadic tribes follow the rain. Temple's metaphors and expressions consistently reflect the environs; they're exotic imagery that the reader pauses to savor. I have delighted in reading and rereading this book, "dancing in the desert among flowers."

The love story between Atiyah and Halima is told in beautiful language and with much suspense. When Atiyah is forced to go study in Fez, then Halima is lost in the desert, you wonder "will they ever see each other again?" I liked this book more than the Ramsay Scallop.