Shabanu lives in the Cholistan Desert in Pakistan near the border with India. Her people are a nomadic desert family. Shabanu is on the brink of womanhood; her older sister Phulan is already marriageable, and soon will be married to Hamir, a cousin of their family's. Shabanu eventually will be married to Hamir's brother, Murad. At age eleven, Shabanu is not interested in marriage; she likes to be with the animals that are her best friends.

Shabanu's family raises camels, which provide the bulk of their income. Once a year Dadi, Shabanu's father, travels to Sibi to sell some of the camels. Shabanu loves the camels, especially Guluband who can dance. Shabanu is anxiously awaiting the trip to Sibi with Dadi. Shabanu saves a baby camel whose mother is dying during birth. They name him Mithoo. He has no mother to nurse him so Shabanu becomes...