The Teacher of Nomad Land: A World War II Story

by Daniel Nayeri

This is the story of two Iranian siblings, thirteen year old Babak and eight year old Sana, orphaned and separated during a time when their neutral country is being invaded by forces competing for Iranian oil—British, Soviet, and German. Add to that mix the Poles, the Jews, and the native nomads who don’t recognize any country as delineated on a map. Their various languages play an important role in this story. Babak has two goals—to become a teacher like his father and to take care of and stay with his sister.

Written for children, this is a fast read for adults. Instead of the horrors of concentration camps, The Teacher of Nomad Land focuses on the lives of the children as they to try to find “family” and dig within themselves to find what it takes to survive. In the Traveler, a friend of their father, they discover a kind man who tries to help. There is also a British soldier they bond with. Their lives are complicated by a mysterious man who is seeking a Jewish boy. All three children are put in danger by this situation. Babak’s resourcefulness is successful in dealing with the Soviets who halt the progress of the nomads in transitioning their herds to their winter home thus demonstrating his value to the nomads.

This is an age appropriate book that does not go into detail about concentration camps and home invasions. On the other hand, it does not shy away from the hunger the children suffer and the danger they face from other people. It highlights the communication problems when there are so many languages; and it shows how, despite being part of an army, individual soldiers can be nice to the local population. While Babak, as the older child, has much of the spotlight in this book, Sana also shines in certain situations with her creativity and ability to step up when things go bad. I was impressed by both characters at their positive attitudes, not allowing themselves to be overpowered by a victim mentality even when cold, hungry, tired or aching from long walks or sleeping on the hard ground.

Rating: 4/5

Category: Historical Fiction, Middle Grades

Notes: 1. Written for children Ages 8-12. Even though the reading level is for that age group, it may be too advanced in terms of understanding the political, geographical, linguistic, and social backgrounds. Discussion with an adult would be helpful for some children.

    2. Included some helpful additions: a map, author’s notes about the political setting and the language barrier, and information on the Persian alphabet.

  3. The book ends with “Further Reading” which lists nonfiction books for various ages.

Publication:  2025—Levine Querido

Memorable Lines:

“It might have been fair, but it wasn’t right.”

Everything is all at once. Our lives, these moments that change our lives, they all happen so fast.

Teaching is like sitting with a young person and encouraging them to only listen to the good angels in their mind and not the evil ones. But you can’t force them.