My Name is Parvana

Fifteen year old Parvana is found by American troops among the smouldering ruins of a school in the Afghan countryside and is quickly arrested as a suspected terrorist. Held in a US army base, she is mercilessly interrogated and psychologically tortured, but she will not speak.

Through flashbacks we learn the tragic events that led up to the girl's discovery in the remote rural area. Set against a backdrop of conflict, danger and fear, Parvana's refusal to lose her independence under the strict Taliban regime is a powerful reminder of what thousands go through in war-torn countries.

Parvana is a fantastic, fiery protagonist who humanizes the war in Afghanistan by showing it from a young girl's point of view. At a time when Malala Yousafzai fills the headlines with her fight for education this story helps explain the difficulties faced by women and children attempting to attend school under extreme circumstances.

This book is a sequel to The Breadwinner Trilogy but can be read as a standalone novel. It is a fantastic, heart wrenching look at the real victims of war and religious oppression.