Author Deborah Ellis returns to the world of contemporary Afghanistan and her Breadwinner series in this story set in 2021. As U.S. forces prepare to withdraw and the Taliban regains its hold, teenage Damsa has run away from her wealthy family to escape a forced engagement. Found by Shauzia, a police officer, she’s taken to Green Valley, the refuge for women and girls Parvana runs with her husband, Asif, and 11-year-old son, Rafi. Rafi is about to leave for the United States with his aunt Maryam to attend a ballet school. When Asif takes them to the airport, they learn that all commercial flights have been cancelled; only military flights will be leaving. In the chaos of trying to get Rafi and Maryam on a military flight, Asif is killed. Rafi, who has always felt sheltered in ways both good and bad by his loving parents, finds himself alone and determined to return home. Meanwhile, when they learn the Taliban is headed to Green Valley, Parvana, Damsa, and the other women and girls flee. As frightening as things are, Damsa, who has always had others to do things for her, discovers just how capable she is as she cares for younger members of their group and helps navigate their journey toward safety. This riveting story, punctuated by moments of kindness and generosity as well as selfishness and cruelty, follows its wonderfully drawn characters to a new place of refuge. (Age 11 and older)

It’s 2021, and the Taliban have regained power in Afghanistan. Parvana and Shauzia, the brave protagonists of The Breadwinner, must now flee to escape new dangers from an old enemy.

In Kabul, 15-year-old Damsa runs away to avoid being forced into marriage by her family. She is found by a police officer named Shauzia, who takes her to Green Valley, a shelter and school for women and girls run by Parvana.

It has been 20 years since Parvana and Shauzia had to disguise themselves as boys to support themselves and their families. But when the Taliban were defeated in 2001, it looked as if Afghans could finally rebuild their country. Many things have changed for Parvana since then. She has married Asif, who she met in the desert as she searched for her family when she was a child. She runs a school for girls. She has a son, Rafi, who is about to fly to New York, where he will train to become a dancer.

But Shauzia is still Parvana’s best friend. And Parvana is still headstrong, bringing her in conflict with her spoiled sister Maryam.

While Asif tries to get Maryam and Rafi on one of the last flights out of Kabul, the Taliban come to the school, and Parvana must lead the girls out of Green Valley and into the mountains.

All royalties will be donated to Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan.

Key Text Features

dialogue

literary references

multiple POV

alternating narrative

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3
Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.6
Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.