Parvana's Journey

In this moving sequel to The Breadwinner, young Parvana sets out to find her mother and sisters, who disappeared shortly after the Taliban invaded the city where they were attending a family wedding. Disguised as a boy, she travels across the deeply scarred landscape of Afghanistan, enduring unimaginable hardship and sorrows. Forced to bury her father, she soon collects a menagerie of abandoned children around her, from infant Hassan to the injured Asif. But where can Parvana lead her new and very vulnerable family, and how can she - a twelve years old girl - ensure their safety in a country gripped by terrible violence?

A powerful story of children caught up in the madness of war, Parvana's Journey is based - like all of the books in show more Deborah Ellis's Breadwinner Trilogy - upon the author's experiences working at a camp for Afghani refugees. Here are moments of almost unbearable heart-ache, as when Parvana loses her father, imprisoned in The Breadwinner for the crime of having an education, and only just restored to the family. But here too are moments of hope, however brief, moments when the human spirit asserts itself. Parvana's courage, her determination to help the other children, will inspire and humble readers who have never had to confront the horrors described. show less

Parvana is a girl in midst of a terrible war in Afghanistan. Her father has just died and she desperately wants to find her mother and siblings. She disguises herself as a boy in order to travel without great difficulty in her country. Everywhere there are enormous obstacles. She cannot find food. She cannot find clean water. She must travel across mine fields. She runs across a baby and a one-legged boy and a little girl who all travel with her, who all add to her burden of finding food and water and a safe place to pass the night.

It’s a beautiful story of great struggle, told from the point of view of a child, who sees all the miseries of war and bravely asks why and dares to seek a life without the ongoing ugliness of war.

It is show more Parvana’s memory of her friend who set off to find the purple fields of France that inspires her to go on, even after encountering the wailing woman, even after seeing the baby come close to death, even after trying to push the irritating one-legged boy on, even after walking for days with no food and no water.

This is a book I can see myself telling everyone I know that they must read.

A 1001 Children’s Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up. show less

Read this with my daughter.
She absolutely loved it.
I thought it was depressing as hell.
But
It really was written very well - gives you a look into what it's like trying to live and grow up in a country that's been in a constant state of war for the past 30 years.

This book is the sequel to The Breadwinner, the story of Parvana’s struggle for survival in war-ravaged Afghanistan. After reading the first book, I had to continue reading Parvana’s story. She proved herself as a valued member of her family, not just because she was born into this particular family. She was willing to do whatever she had to in order to ensure the survival of the female members of her family in the absence of her father. In this book, she branches out and becomes a strong member of the war-torn country as she tries to find her family and becomes responsible for the survival of other children as well. Where the first book draws the reader’s focus to the plight of women related to the Taliban, this story focuses on show more the impact the war has on children. At one point in time, Leila, one of the younger children asks Parvana what the soldiers do with all the dead children. It is a reality of war that most adults try to avoid. When the young adult reader begins this book, he will be introduced to the perils of war related to children in a way that increases awareness, concern and empathy for their peers on the other side of the globe.
Library Implications: This book makes a strong addition to a young person’s book collection. It brings students to a reality they have been completely unaware of in the past. While reading this book, students could do further research into the plight of the young child in Afghanistan. They could also investigate organizations established to ease the suffering of children affected by the Taliban and war effort. Students may even be compelled to create a project or event that raises contributions for that organization. show less

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.

The story broke my heart but was a great read. The message was my favorite part of the book. The lesson was to appreciate what you have and help others. As I was reading this book it really opened my eyes to how many struggling children are out there and made me appreciate my up bringing. The author constructed wonderful characters, such as Parvana and Leila, who showed bravery and persistence throughout the novel.

This sequel to Ellis's The Breadwinner, is another well-written and engaging story that introduces younger children to the horrors of war. The plight of the children in the story may be difficult for children in modern countries to fully understand or relate to, but combined with some discussion about current events, most junior high students will be able to comprehend that the events are not entirely fictional. In addition, some of the characterizations, particularly Asif with his seemingly off-putting personality, may be too subtle for all readers to fully comprehend.