Support the library.
Your support helps keep books free for everyone ❤️
The Breadwinner
by Deborah Ellis
Synopsis
In the wily Parvana, Ellis creates a character to whom North American children will have no difficulty relating. The daughter of university-educated parents, Parvana is thoroughly westernized in her outlook and responses. A pint-sized version of Offred from Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, Parvana conceals her critique of the repressive Muslim state behind the veil of her chador. Although the dialogue is occasionally stilted and the ending disappointingly sketchy, The Breadwinner is essential reading for any child curious about ordinary Afghans. Like so many books and movies on the subject, it is also eerily prophetic. "Maybe someone should drop a big bomb on the country and start again," says a friend of Parvana's. "'They've tried that,' Parvana said, 'It only made things worse.'" (Ages 9 to 12) --Lisa Alward
You May Also Like
Non Fiction Picks
View All
Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza: A Reckoning
Peter Beinart
The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet
John Green
Wolf
Lara Taveirne
Of Course It’s Good!: Aggressively Delicious Meals ANYONE Can Make and EVERYONE Will Love
Jessica Secrest
Conversations on Love
Natasha Lunn
Patriot: A Memoir
Alexei Navalny