chowkidar (choh-kee-dahr)—a watchman who stands beside a gate
churidar (choor-ee-dahr)—bias-cut pants with drawstring waist
dahi (dah-hee)—yogurt
darzi (duhr-zee)—tailor
desi (deh-shee)—country, rural
dhobi (dhoh-bee)—washerman
dhurrie (dhuh-ree)—a flat woven rug with no pile
djinni (jihn-ee) (pl: djinn)—a mischievous spirit that can take the shape of a human or a light; its purpose is to teach a lesson
dupatta (doo-pah-tuh)—a long scarf worn loosely over the head
durbar (duhr-buhr)—room where a leader receives followers and official guests
eek, do, teen (ehk, doh, teen)—one, two, three
gaay (gaiy)—cow
halwa (hahl-vuh)—dessert dish made with milk and often carrot
haveli (hah-veh-lee)—a private house traditionally with courtyard, often owned by a wealthy family in a city
jalabi (juh-leh-bee)—a pretzel-shaped, deep-fried sweet
Janazah (juh-nah-zuh) (Arabic)—prayer asking forgiveness for the dead
kameez (kuh-meez)—a knee-length tunic worn over loose-fitting trousers
khansama (khan-sahm-muh)—cook
lungi (loohn-gee)—a piece of cloth worn around the hips
mahabbat (mah-hah-baht)—love
maidan (maiy-dahn)—an open space, often a small park in the center of a neighborhood
mali (mah-lee)—gardener
Masha’ Allah (mah-shah-luh)—God’s will
maulvi (mohl-vee)—a learned Islamic scholar, usually regarded as a holy man
nimbu pani (nihm-boo pah-nee)—a drink made with nimbu, a small lime, and pani, water, with either sugar or salt
nimbu soda (nihm-boo soh-dah)—a drink made with nimbu, a small lime, and club soda, with either sugar or salt
pakshi (pahk-shee)—bird
paratha (pah-rahn-tah)—fried unleavened bread
purdah (puhr-dah)—literally, a curtain; the practice of keeping women separate and out of sight of men
rasmali (rahs-muhl-aiy)—a pudding made with red carrots
rickshaw (rihk-shah)—here, the three-wheeled taxi in most Indian and Pakistani cities
roti (roh-tee)—bread
rupee (roo-pee)—Pakistani currency
salaams (sah-lahms)—greetings
sardar (sahr-dahr)—title used by Pakistani and Afghan tribal leaders
shalwar (shahl-wahr)—loose-fitting trousers with a drawstring waist
shalwar kameez (shahl-wahr kuh-meez)—traditional Punjabi dress for men and women: a long tunic worn over loose-fitting trousers with drawstring waist
shamiana (shah-mee-yah-nuh)—a large tent made of colored cloth sewn together in geometric patterns
shatoosh (shah-toosh)—a fine shawl made from the finest chin and belly hairs of wild Himalayan goats
Swati chair (swah-tee chair)—a low wooden chair from the Valley of Swat in northern Pakistan
Uma (ooh-mah)—Mother
wallah (wahl-luh)—a purveyor, one who sells a product or service
Zamzam (zahm-zahm)—water from the mosque at the Islamic holy city of Mecca
Copyright © 2008 by Suzanne Fisher Staples
All rights reserved
The lines of poetry on page 7 were taken from
These Branching Moments: Forty Odes by Jelaluddin Rumi,
translated by John Moyne and Coleman Barks,
published by Copper Beech Press.
www.fsgkidsbooks.com
Designed by Nancy Goldenberg
eISBN 9781466814387
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Staples, Suzanne Fisher.
The house of djinn / Suzanne Fisher Staples.—1st ed.
p. cm.
Summary: An unexpected death brings Shabanu’s daughter,
Mumtaz, and nephew, Jameel, both aged fifteen, to the forefront of an attempt to modernize Pakistan, but the teens must both sacrifice their own dreams if they are to meet family and tribal expectations.
[1. Family life—Pakistan—Fiction. 2. Sex role—Fiction.
3. Spirits—Fiction. 4. Pakistan—Fiction.] I. Title.
PZ7.S79346Hou 2010
[Fic]—dc22
2007005093