This is the second book in a trilogy by Deborah Ellis, that follows the issues of women and children in war torn Afghanistan. She does a great job of instantly pulling in the reader to a fast paced plot with dynamic characters. Parvana is the hope for many in this story, and never loses hope of finding her family herself. This story is engaging, but at times very sad. However, Ellis does a fantastic job of bringing the issues of Afghanistan to young adult literature. With the purchase of any of her books, Ellis is donating a portion of the book price to Women for Women, an organization that supports Afghan women. ( )

It's a good book, not as good as the first one but hey, that's always the way with a series of three. The middle book is always the worst because it doesn't have a beginning so you don't get to start learning about the characters and its not the ending, which is always good. Well, not always, but the part you usually look forward to. Usually I would probably give the middle book a pretty low review, because its just continuing the story. But the reason I gave so high was because it does end the story, Parvana's story anyway. Not Farzana's though. Overall it's a great book. ( )

A great, harrowing read about a young girl who searches for her mother and for safety in war-ravaged Afghanistan.

A powerful introduction to the horror of war without leaving the reader too shocked to feel anything more. A beautiful story of very realistic, imperfect but endearing children in circumstances no child should ever have to suffer. I recommend it for adults and young readers. ( )

Sequel to THE BREADWINNER (AKA Parvana)

Opens with 13-year-old Parvana burying her father -- still disguised as a boy. She sets off to find her mother and siblings -- to avoid the Taliban. Heading towards Pakistan. [Year not made clear, not even in Author's Note dated Sep 2002. If Taliban came to power in 1996, then after that and theoretically before Sept. 2001 -- though (p. 192) Parvana writes to her friend (hopefully in France) that it is rumored the Americans are doing the bombing and that the Taliban have left Kabul...]

As she travels, Parvana rescues three children, with whom she finally makes her way to an official refugee camp and where she miraculously (coincidentally) finds her mother and siblings.

First she finds baby Hassan, then the boy Asif (with one leg) with whom she has a sparring, loving relationship, and finally Leila -- the slightly crazy (wild child) in Green Valley, surviving with her almost dead grandmother -- a girl who believes she is safe from land mines because she "feeds" the fields -- and in the end is killed by one as she goes to take possession of an air-dropped yellow CARE package.

An odyssey (not unlike HOMECOMING, though a much shorter, simpler, and more horrific book). Parvana's sense of history, ability to read and write, and intelligence. When the food ran out, eating pages from an old paperback copy of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (one of her father's precious English books) -- of no other use to them. Ends with her writing to her friend from Kabul, saying they'll meet at the Eiffel Tower in twenty years... ( )