When the Moon Is Low (46 page)
This story was inspired by the masses of people all over the world in search of a place to call home. It is a fictional story, meant only to represent the dilemma of the displaced in a small way. There are many out there documenting true human experiences, and I am grateful for the critical work they do. What do I wish for? Since I’m one part dreamer and two parts realist, I wish for a world that doesn’t create refugees, but until then, I’ll settle for the humanity in each of us that makes sharing and hearing these important stories possible.
| Ameen | Amen |
| aroos | bride |
| aush | noodle soup |
| azaan | call to prayer |
| b’isme-Allah | in the name of Allah/God |
| bachem | my boy/child |
| Bibi- jan | Grandma-dear |
| Boba- jan | Grandpa-dear |
| burqa | head-to-toe covering |
| chador | head scarf |
| dokhtar | daughter/girl |
| dua | prayer |
| Eid | holiday |
| espand | incense used to ward off the evil eye |
| fateha | funeral service |
| hamsar | spouse |
| iftar | evening meal to break Ramadan fast at sunset |
| inshallah | God willing |
| jan / janem | dear/my dear |
| jenaaza | burial ceremony |
| Jumaa | Friday |
| Kaka | Uncle |
| Khala | Aunt |
| Khanum | Lady |
| khastgaar | suitor |
| khormaa | dates (fruit) |
| Madar- jan | Mother-dear |
| mahram | close male relative |
| mantu | ground-meat-filled dumplings |
| masjid | house of worship |
| moallim | teacher |
| nakhod | chickpeas |
| nam-e-khoda | praise God |
| naseeb | destiny |
| nazar | evil eye |
| nikkah | Islamic marriage ceremony |
| noosh-e-jan | to your health |
| Padar- jan | Father-dear |
| purdah | veil/seclusion |
| qandem | my sweet |
| roshanee | light/fortune |
| sawaab | spiritual reward |
| sheerbrinj | rice pudding |
| shirnee | sweets/a symbolic tray of sweets used to signify acceptance of a courtship |
| sura | Qur’anic verse |
| tasbeh | rosary beads |
| wa-alaikum | and to you |
NADIA HASHIMI
is an Afghan American pediatrician living in suburban Washington, D.C. She is the author of the international bestseller
The Pearl That Broke Its Shell.
WWW.NADIAHASHIMI.COM
FACEBOOK.COM/NADIAHASHIMIBOOKS
@NADIAHASHIMI
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The Pearl That Broke Its Shell
Cover design by Mumtaz Mustafa
Cover photographs: © by Lenar Musin/Shutterstock (woman); © by majeczka/Shutterstock (trees)
Map by Nick Springer. Copyright © 2015 Springer Cartographics LLC.
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
WHEN THE MOON IS LOW. Copyright © 2015 by Nadia Hashimi. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
FIRST EDITION
ISBN 978-0-06-236957-4
EPub Edition July 2015 ISBN 9780062369628
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