Zhaleh Alipour

The Plum Tree Zhaleh Alipour

"You will do what all the other creatures said you could never do; You will move. I will be with you. We will travel around the world, and you will see the mountains, forests, and the ocean through my eyes. Exactly as you and I together have dreamed," Arezoo said to the plum tree with excitement. This is a story of friendship and love between a girl and a plant intended primarily for Middle Grade girls but important in its message to other ages as well not to tolerate suppression. The story has two heroines. The first is a plum tree who wants to move and see the world but who is surrounded by creatures who cannot imagine possibilities beyond generally accepted reality. The second is a poor Persian girl, Arezoo, who became blind early in life and who despairs of her family ever getting enough money for an operation to restore her eyesight. Love, willingness to help, and gratitude make their impossible possible. Moreover, the lessons of friendship and individuals working together to change the status quo speak indirectly toward empowering women to break entrenched limitations.