The Breadwinner brings to life an issue that has recently exploded in the international media -- the reality of life under the Taliban. Young Parvana lives with her family in one room of a bombed-out apartment building in Kabul, Afghanistan. Because he has a foreign education, her father is arrested by the Taliban, the religious group that controls the country. Since women cannot appear in public unless covered head to toe, or go to school, or work outside the home, the family becomes increasingly desperate until Parvana conceives a plan. She cuts her hair and disguises herself as a boy to earn money for her family. Parvana's determination to survive is the force that drives this novel set against the backdrop of an intolerable situation brought about by war and religious fanaticism. Deborah Ellis spent several months talking with women and girls in Afghan refugee camps in Pakistan and Russia. This suspenseful, timely novel is the result of those encounters. Royalties from the sale of The Breadwinner will go toward educating Afghan girls in Pakistani refugee camps. "A potent portrait of life in contemporary Afghanistan, showing that powerful heroines can survive even in the most oppressive ... conditions." -- Booklist
Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan, 11-year-old Parvana has rarely been outdoors. Barred from attending school, shopping at the market, or even playing in the streets of Kabul, the heroine of Deborah Ellis's engrossing children's novel The Breadwinner is trapped inside her family's one-room home. That is, until the Taliban hauls away her father and Parvana realizes that it's up to her to become the "breadwinner" and disguise herself as a boy to support her mother, two sisters, and baby brother. Set in the early years of the Taliban regime, this topical novel for middle readers explores the harsh realities of life for girls and women in modern-day Afghanistan. A political activist whose first book for children, Looking for X, dealt with poverty in Toronto, Ellis based The Breadwinner on the true-life stories of women in Afghan refugee camps.
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
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
A book review from 4th grade students in Beijing:
This is an excellent book because it is suspensful, informational, exciting and thought-provoking. A majority of us believe that this book should be read aloud by an adult in order to discuss the sensitive content. There are many scenes in the story that have a lot of imagery. Especially the part when Parvana is turned into a boy! This book should be read all over the world because it makes us thankful for what we have in our own lives and also helps to educate us on life in Afghanistan while the... more info
The Breadwinner:
I thought the book was really good. I was so tempted to read more at the end! I thought the book was really sad when the Taliban took Parvana's father. But, I think it was really thoughtful when the guys were helping her father up the steps.
Grandmothers are teachers too:
The Breadwinner is an outstanding book to give middle schoolers a feel for the lives of ordinary people in Afghanistan and that region of the world. The stark contrast comes alive for them. A powerful book, it opens the way for discussions of gender, sexuality, poverty, cultural differences especially Afghan culture, as well as radical Islamic fundamentalism. As a grandmother, and retired 6th grade teacher, I have added it to the library I am building for my grandchildren ,filled with books we can read and... more info
Excellent Book:
I purchased this book for a college class. I was very impressed by it, certainly worth reading. Gives a very well written account of what life could be like in Afghanistan.
