This book was about a young girl who's family was very poor. The family had 7 daughters who couldn't work to bring in money. At that time, boys could work and not girls. Buran, the 4th daughter, dresses up as a boy and goes to a new city to work. She meets a prince and falls in love. He does not know she is a girl. If you don't read the story then you can't find out what happens. This book is great at first but gets a little long in the middle. The ending is extremely romantic. It makes the book okay!

My mother had me choose a book to read of school , and of the books we had this sounded like the best. I was a little skeptical at first, but as soon as I started reading, I couldn't put it down! Every time something new happened, I would stop and announce to Mom why this part of the book was exciting, and I just couldn't thank her enough! One night I read from 10:30 to midnight. I just couln't get enough of Buran and her prince, Mahmud. If I had a favorite book before, it was nothing compared to Seven Daughters and Seven Sons. Thank you, Barbara Cohen and Bahija Lovejoy!

Buran and her six sisters were born to a poor merchant who never makes enough money to take his family out of poverty. His brother, however, is a very rich merchant. He has six sons and he often comes to his brother's house or shop with one of his sons just for the purpose of gloating. Buran has been far more educated than any other girl because her father wanted someone to play chess with him and talk and write with him and because she is the one who wants to learn, he teaches her many things.
After one of her uncle's visits, which made her father particularly unhappy, Buran puts forward an idea which she has been thinking for a while. She asks her father to make an investment with the tiny amount of money he has saved up. She asks him to invest in her. She wants to dress as a boy and go to the coast to make much money as a merchant. Her mother thinks this is a bad idea because girls are not supposed to make money, but her father gives her free rein.
On her way to the coast in a caravan, she wants to save money, so she travels as a servant. Her master is cruel to her during the days, but at night, he teaches her the way of a merchant. When she finally gets to the city, she pays off the merchant who taught her everything she knows extremely quickly, and then proceeds to make enough money to live extremely richly, and send enough money back to her family so they can live very richly. While there she makes a new friend, but fears that if she reveals her true identity to him, he would hate her. When he comes close to figuring it out on his own, she runs away. During her journey home, she doubles her riches, as well as playing a clever trick on her cousins. If I include any more, I'll give away the entire plot, and you won't have to read the book.
The book was very, very good. There was nothing wrong with it. It goes with the classic plot of society thinks girls are stupid, main character proves them wrong in a big way, good stuff happens to main character. Another example of this plot is Mulan.

This book was recommended by a teenage friend and I found myself inhaling it!

Taken from a traditional Iraqui folktale, we meet Buran, the fourth daughter out of seven of a poor merchant. Her braggart uncle has seven sons: which he lords over Buran's family constantly.

Buran, a favorite of her father, hatches an idea to dress like a man and open a store in a larger city, Tyre. After a near-tragedy in the family, he agrees. Off she goes and along the way learns lessons about perseverence, determination, and good business from an unlikely source. Buran is tenacious in seeking out her goal: to provide for her family. Her strong nature and unselfish manner makes her an interesting character for girls -- for those interested in a little romance and wonder how Muslim girls go about getting their prince...the story conveniently switches to his story in the second section of the book.

Mahmud is a merchant prince who longs for a friend. Though he has two close friends, they both want from him and Mahmud wants a friend who asks for nothing. He finds it in a young clever merchant named Narsi. Mahmud and Narsi enjoy walks and backgammon -- in one another they find common ground. However, their unusual friendship attracts jealousy from Mahmud's previous friends and Mahmud is tricked in testing Narsi for being a boy or a girl. Narsi disappears before the third test which would be impossible for her to hide her sex...and it distresses Mahmud who realizes too late he was set up and that his heart desire -- his life desire -- has just slipped away.

In the third section of the book, Buran regretfully leaves Mahmud to return home only to discover an opportunity to humble her seven male cousins -- all of whom have turned out to not be the successful businessmen her bragged about but wasteful young men. In turn, she tricks them into putting a tattoo'd "B" on their chest. She triumphantly returns to her family, though her heart longs for Mahmud...who she believes will hate her if discovering her secret. Will true love prevail?

The story is full of color and introduces a little-understood culture. Cohen subtly introduces the Iraqui culture, their method of trading, and the manners of family. Written in 1983 before the current conflict, the book would be excellent to those curious of the people and places we see on the news and could possibly be used a centerpiece on middle-eastern culture.

I just finished this book as a prelude to using it in a 5th and 6th grade literature group. I am anxious to read this book with the kids who will relate, not only to the geographic areas, since we just finished a unit on Mesopotamia, but also to the age old story of making personal decisions that have an impact on the lives of many. In this world of male versus female struggles, we see that even in Ancient Persia, Buran, a female, makes a success of herself (although disguised as a man) and yet never divulges her true feelings for the Prince of Tyre. She is a woman that females and males can look up to and admire for her wisdom and dedication to family. A wonderful read for everyone.