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.

Before Phulan's wedding, however, disaster strikes: Shabanu and Phulan accidentally stumble upon several strange men in the desert, among them an old, wicked landowner named Nazir Mohammad, who was known to have murdered Shabanu's cousin, Lal Khan, in the past.

Phulan has to marry Hamir's brother, Murad, instead, a decision she doesn't oppose, much to Shabanu's anger.

Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind has also received a number of criticisms for not being up-to-date on Islamic marital customs.

feel that the novel reflects badly on their culture, as the information covered is no longer current and not up to date.