Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis

Parvana lives in Afghanistan under strict Taliban rule. She lives in a one room apartment with her father, mother, two sisters and baby brother. Under the Taliban rule, women are not allowed to leave their homes without a male escort. Because she is only eleven, Parvana breaks that rule by pretending to be a boy and then can escort her crippled father to the market where he writes and reads letters for money.

Without warning one evening, Parvana’s father is taken to jail. The family must figure out how to survive without any men or boys to earn money. Mrs. Weera, Parvana’s former school teacher, suggests that they can survive only if Parvana dresses as a boy and does her father’s work at the market.

At first Parvana is hesitant and scared that she will be caught, but as the days wear on she becomes more confident with her disguise. Her confidence increases even more after she meets another girl like her. Shauzia is the sole breadwinner and she also dresses as a boy in order to support her family. Soon Parvana and Shauzia become good friends and work together to earn more money to support themselves and their families.

Shauzia dreams of going to France to live a better life and asks Parvana to join her. Should Parvana leave Afghanistan and her family? What if her father gets released from jail, but Parava has already left? What will happen if Parvana stays in Afghanistan, but can no longer disguise herself as a boy? How could her family live if no one is allowed to work?

As the days pass, Parvana must continue to make difficult decisions, support her family, and hope that her father will come back. What will be the fate of Parvana and her Afghanistan? From: One Book Two Villages http://www.onebooktwovillages.org/kidsummary.php?bookid=43847118

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