[4] While in Pakistan, Staples learned to speak Urdu, which she credited with helping her to develop relationships with people, listen to their stories, and understand nuance.
[6] Staples's first two novels, Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind (1989) and its sequel Haveli (1993) are set in Pakistan and explore the life of a young woman facing an arranged marriage.
Shabanu, a Newbery Honor book in 1990, is a story about a girl who longs for the freedom to shape her own destiny in a society where women face arranged marriages and have minimal autonomy.
[5] Staples' third novel Dangerous Skies (1996) set in Virginia's Chesapeake Bay follows two children, a white boy and a black girl, who struggle to hold their friendship together.
Under the Persimmon Tree (2005) is set in Afghanistan and Pakistan after the 2001 terrorist attacks and centers on Najmah, an Afghan refugee whose family is devastated by war, and her teacher.