Set in the late 1990s in Kabul, Afghanistan, 11-year-old Parvana's father is taken to prison. Their family is left without a way to earn money or get basic necessities outside the home with a male relative at home. Parvana is left with one option to provide for her family: disguise herself as a boy.
Recommended age range: 12 years old & up
Strengths:
- Historical fiction capturing a time and country often not written about
- Provides a glimpse into life under the Taliban rule in the late 1990s
- A couple of scenes could've been omitted or portrayed less intense to better fit into a middle grade book for kids:
- Parvana and her mother are beaten by soldiers when they go to the prison
- Parvana and her friend see the Taliban cut off the hands of men who stole something
- The main characters are Afghan, but written by a Western woman.
- A short conversation between Parvana and Shauzia about how once their bodies change, they won't be able to hide that their actually girls makes for an awkward scene that really wasn't necessary to the storyline.
- A heavier read without much light.
- Despite Islam being central to Afghan life, religion isn't mentioned at all in the book.
- This is the first book in a series.
- This book was originally published in 2001. Since that time, the Taliban were pushed out of leadership in the country and then returned to power in 2021.
- The Breadwinner has been turned into a graphic novel and a PG-13 movie.
- The recommended age is for middle grade readers (ages 9-12), but due to heaviness of this book, I opted to recommend an older age.
NOTE: A review doesn't mean I'm recommending a book, but I want to share some factors to consider before determining if this book would be right for your family in my review.