Shadow of Ghadames by Joelle Stolz

Life at the end of the nineteenth century Libya is one of separation of the sexes. Malika is on the verge of adolescence and she begins to see how things are changing for her and her brother. While she is restricted more and more to the home, her brother is now banned from sharing the women's space and must now work with his uncle. The childhood play is over. This is a world that may seem very strange to us in the 21st century but it is a world that makes sense to Malika's mother. But the arrival of a wounded young man makes Malika begin to question her limited opportunities.