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The Breadwinner #3
Mud City
The third book in the internationally bestselling series that includes The Breadwinner, Parvana’s Journey and My Name Is Parvana.
Parvana’s best friend, Shauzia, has escaped the misery of her life in Kabul, only to end up in a refugee camp in Pakistan. But she still dreams of seeing the ocean and eventually making a new life in France.This is the dream that has sustained her through the terrible years in Kabul. It is the dream for which she has forsaken family and friends.
But it is hard to imagine herself in a field of purple lavender when she is living in the Widows’ Compound of a muddy, crowded refugee camp outside Peshawar. Even worse, the compound is run by Mrs. Weera, Shauzia’s bossy phys ed teacher from Kabul, who insists that Shauzia be useful and make the best of a dismal situation.
Shauzia finally decides to leave the camp and try her luck on the streets. She is determined to earn money to buy her passage out of the country. Peshawar is dangerous and full of desperately poor and wandering children like herself, but she has Jasper, the dog who followed her down from a shepherds’ camp in the mountains. And she knows how to masquerade as a boy and comb the streets for jobs. She figures she knows how to survive.
But life as a street kid is dangerous and terrifying, and even with the advantages of a strong will, brave spirit and good luck, Shauzia soon discovers that the old choices are not so easy any more. This is a powerful and very human story of a feisty, driven girl who tries to take control of her own life.
The reissue includes a new cover and map, and an updated author’s note and glossary to provide young readers with background and context. Royalties from the sale of this book will go to Street Kids International.
Parvana’s best friend, Shauzia, has escaped the misery of her life in Kabul, only to end up in a refugee camp in Pakistan. But she still dreams of seeing the ocean and eventually making a new life in France.This is the dream that has sustained her through the terrible years in Kabul. It is the dream for which she has forsaken family and friends.
But it is hard to imagine herself in a field of purple lavender when she is living in the Widows’ Compound of a muddy, crowded refugee camp outside Peshawar. Even worse, the compound is run by Mrs. Weera, Shauzia’s bossy phys ed teacher from Kabul, who insists that Shauzia be useful and make the best of a dismal situation.
Shauzia finally decides to leave the camp and try her luck on the streets. She is determined to earn money to buy her passage out of the country. Peshawar is dangerous and full of desperately poor and wandering children like herself, but she has Jasper, the dog who followed her down from a shepherds’ camp in the mountains. And she knows how to masquerade as a boy and comb the streets for jobs. She figures she knows how to survive.
But life as a street kid is dangerous and terrifying, and even with the advantages of a strong will, brave spirit and good luck, Shauzia soon discovers that the old choices are not so easy any more. This is a powerful and very human story of a feisty, driven girl who tries to take control of her own life.
The reissue includes a new cover and map, and an updated author’s note and glossary to provide young readers with background and context. Royalties from the sale of this book will go to Street Kids International.
168 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 12, 2003
150 people are currently reading
3310 people want to read
About the author
Deborah Ellis
57 books601 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Deborah Ellis has achieved international acclaim with her courageous and dramatic books that give Western readers a glimpse into the plight of children in developing countries.
She has won the Governor General's Award, Sweden's Peter Pan Prize, the Ruth Schwartz Award, the University of California's Middle East Book Award, the Jane Addams Children's Book Award and the Vicky Metcalf Award.
A long-time feminist and anti-war activist, she is best known for The Breadwinner Trilogy, which has been published around the world in seventeen languages, with more than a million dollars in royalties donated to Street Kids International and to Women for Women, an organization that supports health and education projects in Afghanistan. In 2006, Deb was named to the Order of Ontario.
Deborah Ellis has achieved international acclaim with her courageous and dramatic books that give Western readers a glimpse into the plight of children in developing countries.
She has won the Governor General's Award, Sweden's Peter Pan Prize, the Ruth Schwartz Award, the University of California's Middle East Book Award, the Jane Addams Children's Book Award and the Vicky Metcalf Award.
A long-time feminist and anti-war activist, she is best known for The Breadwinner Trilogy, which has been published around the world in seventeen languages, with more than a million dollars in royalties donated to Street Kids International and to Women for Women, an organization that supports health and education projects in Afghanistan. In 2006, Deb was named to the Order of Ontario.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 390 reviews
November 24, 2017
I have a feeling that this novella is written in such a simple diction with a view to spreading its contents to a wide range of readers. I am not sure whether it's written for younger readers or not but I enjoyed the series likewise.
This novella is the third instalment in "The Breadwinner" series but instead of narrating the story of Parvana,the novella tells us about the struggle of Sauziya who was portrayed simply as Parvana's friend in the previous books. A strong character like Sauziya had a great opportunity to sparkle in her own story and the writer depicted her in exactly that way.
Seen as a rebel and feisty character in the first 2 novellas,Sauzia blooms up more in this book where she leaves the refugee camp in Pakistan and goes out in the city to earn money to save enough to go to her dreamland,France. In a land which is full of Afghan refugees and degreeholders get reduced to beggars,Sauzia can't do well. She sees the cruelty of the world more clearly until she has to get back to the place which she left in the first place.
I loveeeed the book because it pretty much stuck to reality. There were certain parts which seemed pretty dramatic,like Sauzia getting rescued by foreigners and living with them. I was secretly happy that the writer showed the reality in the end. The ending was actually the best part in this novella. Even though Sauzia always wanted to leave for France,she ends up grasping the truth of the situation and decides to help with the refugees instead. I am not a bad person but I would have found it highly dramatic if Sauzia actually went to France in a critical condition like this.
Well, this series needs to be read by everyone. Really. This provides an insight into the hardship of the Afghan children's lives. The simplicity of the language is just another bonus.
This novella is the third instalment in "The Breadwinner" series but instead of narrating the story of Parvana,the novella tells us about the struggle of Sauziya who was portrayed simply as Parvana's friend in the previous books. A strong character like Sauziya had a great opportunity to sparkle in her own story and the writer depicted her in exactly that way.
Seen as a rebel and feisty character in the first 2 novellas,Sauzia blooms up more in this book where she leaves the refugee camp in Pakistan and goes out in the city to earn money to save enough to go to her dreamland,France. In a land which is full of Afghan refugees and degreeholders get reduced to beggars,Sauzia can't do well. She sees the cruelty of the world more clearly until she has to get back to the place which she left in the first place.
I loveeeed the book because it pretty much stuck to reality. There were certain parts which seemed pretty dramatic,like Sauzia getting rescued by foreigners and living with them. I was secretly happy that the writer showed the reality in the end. The ending was actually the best part in this novella. Even though Sauzia always wanted to leave for France,she ends up grasping the truth of the situation and decides to help with the refugees instead. I am not a bad person but I would have found it highly dramatic if Sauzia actually went to France in a critical condition like this.
Well, this series needs to be read by everyone. Really. This provides an insight into the hardship of the Afghan children's lives. The simplicity of the language is just another bonus.
Read
September 15, 2011I am glad to have found this series of books, although in the young readers category, to have my eyes opened to the realities of the refugee camps,& the plight of women in Afghanistan & Pakistan. This should certainly be added to any school reading list to 1.teach kids about different parts of the world 2. open their eyes & hearts to the suffering of others 3. to challenge them on how they can help or better yet, teach them that they CAN help 4. to show that not getting the newest, greatest & latest toy really isn't the end of the world.
July 24, 2021
Lijepi završetak trilogije
May 28, 2022
Globalni ciljevi: druga kultura, nastavak serijala
Ovaj dio mi se nije svidio onoliko koliko su mi se svidjela prva dva. Sad ne pratimo Parvanine dogodovštine, već život njene prijateljice Shauzije. Njen život u Peševaru u Pakistanu, prvo u izbjegličkom logoru, a onda i u samom gradu.
Shauzija mi se karakterno ne sviđa onoliko mi se Parvana svidjela. Tvrdoglava je, ok to joj je pomoglo da preživi u stranom gradu, ali mene je njeno ponašanje nekako odbilo.
Također mi se ni knjiga stilski ne sviđa onoliko koliko su mi se svidjele prve dvije. Pomalo je zbrzana, nešto mi je nedostajalo, malo više Shauzijinih razmišljanja ili opisa. Puno stvari se događa, ali ni na jednom događaju ne ostajemo predugo, nego autorica odmah baca Shauziju u neku drugu situaciju. Čitatelj ne stigne previše promišljati o onom što se dogodilo. Kao da su mi prve dvije bile bolje napisane.
I daljeje to jedna tužna priča, o teškom životu Afganistanaca, ovaj put izbjeglica u drugoj zemlji. Naglasak ovdje nije bio na osporavanju prava žena, već na razlici između siromašnih i bogatih te na životu djece bez roditelja. Ali, Jasper mi je divaaan. :)
Ovaj dio mi se nije svidio onoliko koliko su mi se svidjela prva dva. Sad ne pratimo Parvanine dogodovštine, već život njene prijateljice Shauzije. Njen život u Peševaru u Pakistanu, prvo u izbjegličkom logoru, a onda i u samom gradu.
Shauzija mi se karakterno ne sviđa onoliko mi se Parvana svidjela. Tvrdoglava je, ok to joj je pomoglo da preživi u stranom gradu, ali mene je njeno ponašanje nekako odbilo.
Također mi se ni knjiga stilski ne sviđa onoliko koliko su mi se svidjele prve dvije. Pomalo je zbrzana, nešto mi je nedostajalo, malo više Shauzijinih razmišljanja ili opisa. Puno stvari se događa, ali ni na jednom događaju ne ostajemo predugo, nego autorica odmah baca Shauziju u neku drugu situaciju. Čitatelj ne stigne previše promišljati o onom što se dogodilo. Kao da su mi prve dvije bile bolje napisane.
I daljeje to jedna tužna priča, o teškom životu Afganistanaca, ovaj put izbjeglica u drugoj zemlji. Naglasak ovdje nije bio na osporavanju prava žena, već na razlici između siromašnih i bogatih te na životu djece bez roditelja. Ali, Jasper mi je divaaan. :)
September 18, 2013
This Book is awesome. Especially Chapter 4!
August 23, 2013
Another great young adults book in the breadwinner series. Shazia is a young Afghan girl posing as a boy to be able to move around. The book opens in the mud refugee city for Afghans on the outskirts of Peshawar, Pakistan.
On the one hand one becomes very annoyed with Shauzia for her complaints, her grumbling but on the other her rough-hewn nature is what enables her to survive in mud and dust, where water is rationed where food is scarce and where beggars collect trash to buy their next meal. In this complicates sense she is a wonderful character who is determined somehow to find herself to the ocean and sail to France where she will lie down in the midst of lavender--due to a magazine picture she carries around. To her that is heaven. That's what drives her and her wonderful canine companion.
The book gives us a poignant picture of the horrors of fleeing Afghanistan and the misery of living in a refugee camp.
Highly recommended.
On the one hand one becomes very annoyed with Shauzia for her complaints, her grumbling but on the other her rough-hewn nature is what enables her to survive in mud and dust, where water is rationed where food is scarce and where beggars collect trash to buy their next meal. In this complicates sense she is a wonderful character who is determined somehow to find herself to the ocean and sail to France where she will lie down in the midst of lavender--due to a magazine picture she carries around. To her that is heaven. That's what drives her and her wonderful canine companion.
The book gives us a poignant picture of the horrors of fleeing Afghanistan and the misery of living in a refugee camp.
Highly recommended.
May 8, 2021
*Recenzija se odnosi na sve 3 knjige početne trilogije: The Breadwinner, Parvana's Journey i Mud City.*
Svakodnevne stvari, odnosno - svakodnevne slobode - rijetko tko od nas smatra povlasticama. Dok bezbrižno šećemo ulicama, vozimo auto, idemo u školu/na posao/fakultet ili obavljamo svakodnevne poslove, ni ne pomišljamo da neki drugi ljudi - neke druge žene - na njih nemaju pravo.
Dolaskom talibana na vlast, ženama u Afganistanu uskraćene su sve svakodnevne slobode koje većina ljudi uzima zdravo za gotovo. Bile su osuđene na ostanak u kući, izlaske samo u strogo kontroliranim uvjetima i pod paskom supruga ili nekog drugog muškarca koji je imao ulogu njihovog trenutnog skrbnika. Djevojčicama je zabranjeno školovanje, a umjesto u smijehu i igri, djetinjstva su protjecala u skrivanju i strahu.
U ovakvim okolnostima odrasta djevojčica Parvana. S dvije sestre, malenim bratom, majkom i ocem, Parvana stanuje u skromnoj kući u glavnom gradu Afganistana, Kabulu. Njena majka i sestre zbog silnih zabrana za žene uopće ne izlaze iz kuće, dok Parvana svakodnevno odlazi s ocem na tržnicu, kako bi mu pomagala. No, kada im jednog dana u kuću provale talibani i odvedu joj oca, i to samo zato jer je studirao u inozemstvu i govori engleski, Parvana će morati preuzeti brigu o majci, bratu i sestrama i postati hraniteljica obitelji.
Kako bi uspjela raditi i zaraditi novac koji je njenoj obitelji prijeko potreban, Parvana se mora pretvarati da je dječak. Isto čini i njena prijateljica Shauzia, koja sanja o odlasku iz Afganistana na polja lavande u Francuskoj, jer ondje mora biti bolje no što je ovdje, i jer negdje na nju mora čekati neki život koji je bolji od ovog u kojem se mora skrivati sve dok ju njena obitelj ne uda za nekog muškarca kojeg ne poznaje i za kojeg se ne želi udati. Parvana i Shauzia jedna su drugoj utjeha, čak i nakon što ih život razdvoji i putevi im odu u različitim pravcima.
I jednu i drugu djevojčicu čeka dugo putovanje, putovanje na kojem će se susresti s brojnim teškoćama: ratom, usamljenošću, siromaštvom, glađu, beznađem... No, nešto cijelo vrijeme tjera ove djevojčice da nastave, da ustraju, da ne odustanu čak i kad se nađu u posve bezizlaznoj situaciji.
Poput autobiografije Malale Yousafzai, Parvanina i Shauzina je priča također priča o djevojčicama koje sve što žele u životu jest - biti djevojčice: ići u školu, družiti se s prijateljima, osjećati se sigurnima, imati budućnost otvorenih mogućnosti za bilo što što žele postati. Ovo je priča o hrabrim djevojčicama koje u jako ranoj dobi preuzimaju odgovornost brige za obitelj, koje se domišljato i hrabro suprotstavljaju režimu koji ugnjetava i ponižava žene, otimajući im osnovne ljudske slobode i prava.
Parvana ništa od svega što ju je zadesilo nije niti htjela niti tražila. Nije odmah ustala i preuzela skrb o obitelji na sebe; naravno da se bojala hoće li to uopće moći, naravno da je očekivala da netko stariji preuzme tu odgovornost. Ali vrlo je brzo shvatila da, iako je tek djevojčica, u njoj čuči dovoljno hrabrosti i snažne volje da se uhvati ukoštac s problemima pred kojima se drugi tek pokriju pokrivačem po glavi i čekaju da ih netko drugi spasi. A nakon što je odlučila preuzeti taj posao na sebe, Parvana postaje stup svoje obitelji, njena hraniteljica i spasiteljica.
Parvanina (a, kasnije, i Shauzijina) priča inspirativna je i snažna; to je priča s golemim odjekom. Parvana je možda fiktivan lik, ali predstavlja brojne djevojčice koje su, nama nevidljive, prolazile iste stvari kao i Parvana, svaki dan. Suočavale se s opasnostima, borile protiv nepravde, pokušavale napredovati u svijetu koji je odlučio ženama u tome otežati baš svaki korak. Parvana je prava moderna heroina, fiktivna, ali opet vrlo, vrlo stvarna. Shauzia također.
Priče o Parvani, Shauziji i djevojčicama njima nalik nasušno su nam potrebne. U svjetlu ove pandemije, više je no ikad došlo do izražaja da su ljudi u jako velikom postotku (nažalost) izrazito sebični i ignorantni, pogotovo kada se radi o brizi za druge, čak i kada ta briga od njih zahtijeva tek maleno (minorno!) odstupanje od vlastite komocije. Bojim se da nam se, kao čovječanstvu, ne piše baš dobro. Očajnički nam trebaju nove Parvane, Shauzije, Malale i Grete, nove Kati Kariko i Kathrin Jansen*. Snažne žene odlučne promijeniti svijet nabolje i svojim pričama i postignućima nadahnjivati druge da čine to isto. A nama preostaje da te priče čitamo - i širimo ih dalje.
--------------
*Kati Kariko napravila je pravu revoluciju u tehnologiji mRNA cjepiva, njena istraživanja temelj su Pfizerovog i Moderninog cjepiva protiv COVIDA-19. Kathrin Jansen otkrila je cjepivo protiv pneumokoka, a njen nastavak istraživanja koje su započeli Jian Zhou i Ian Frazer doveo je do otkrića cjepiva protiv HPV-a.
Svakodnevne stvari, odnosno - svakodnevne slobode - rijetko tko od nas smatra povlasticama. Dok bezbrižno šećemo ulicama, vozimo auto, idemo u školu/na posao/fakultet ili obavljamo svakodnevne poslove, ni ne pomišljamo da neki drugi ljudi - neke druge žene - na njih nemaju pravo.
Dolaskom talibana na vlast, ženama u Afganistanu uskraćene su sve svakodnevne slobode koje većina ljudi uzima zdravo za gotovo. Bile su osuđene na ostanak u kući, izlaske samo u strogo kontroliranim uvjetima i pod paskom supruga ili nekog drugog muškarca koji je imao ulogu njihovog trenutnog skrbnika. Djevojčicama je zabranjeno školovanje, a umjesto u smijehu i igri, djetinjstva su protjecala u skrivanju i strahu.
U ovakvim okolnostima odrasta djevojčica Parvana. S dvije sestre, malenim bratom, majkom i ocem, Parvana stanuje u skromnoj kući u glavnom gradu Afganistana, Kabulu. Njena majka i sestre zbog silnih zabrana za žene uopće ne izlaze iz kuće, dok Parvana svakodnevno odlazi s ocem na tržnicu, kako bi mu pomagala. No, kada im jednog dana u kuću provale talibani i odvedu joj oca, i to samo zato jer je studirao u inozemstvu i govori engleski, Parvana će morati preuzeti brigu o majci, bratu i sestrama i postati hraniteljica obitelji.
Kako bi uspjela raditi i zaraditi novac koji je njenoj obitelji prijeko potreban, Parvana se mora pretvarati da je dječak. Isto čini i njena prijateljica Shauzia, koja sanja o odlasku iz Afganistana na polja lavande u Francuskoj, jer ondje mora biti bolje no što je ovdje, i jer negdje na nju mora čekati neki život koji je bolji od ovog u kojem se mora skrivati sve dok ju njena obitelj ne uda za nekog muškarca kojeg ne poznaje i za kojeg se ne želi udati. Parvana i Shauzia jedna su drugoj utjeha, čak i nakon što ih život razdvoji i putevi im odu u različitim pravcima.
I jednu i drugu djevojčicu čeka dugo putovanje, putovanje na kojem će se susresti s brojnim teškoćama: ratom, usamljenošću, siromaštvom, glađu, beznađem... No, nešto cijelo vrijeme tjera ove djevojčice da nastave, da ustraju, da ne odustanu čak i kad se nađu u posve bezizlaznoj situaciji.
Poput autobiografije Malale Yousafzai, Parvanina i Shauzina je priča također priča o djevojčicama koje sve što žele u životu jest - biti djevojčice: ići u školu, družiti se s prijateljima, osjećati se sigurnima, imati budućnost otvorenih mogućnosti za bilo što što žele postati. Ovo je priča o hrabrim djevojčicama koje u jako ranoj dobi preuzimaju odgovornost brige za obitelj, koje se domišljato i hrabro suprotstavljaju režimu koji ugnjetava i ponižava žene, otimajući im osnovne ljudske slobode i prava.
Parvana ništa od svega što ju je zadesilo nije niti htjela niti tražila. Nije odmah ustala i preuzela skrb o obitelji na sebe; naravno da se bojala hoće li to uopće moći, naravno da je očekivala da netko stariji preuzme tu odgovornost. Ali vrlo je brzo shvatila da, iako je tek djevojčica, u njoj čuči dovoljno hrabrosti i snažne volje da se uhvati ukoštac s problemima pred kojima se drugi tek pokriju pokrivačem po glavi i čekaju da ih netko drugi spasi. A nakon što je odlučila preuzeti taj posao na sebe, Parvana postaje stup svoje obitelji, njena hraniteljica i spasiteljica.
Parvanina (a, kasnije, i Shauzijina) priča inspirativna je i snažna; to je priča s golemim odjekom. Parvana je možda fiktivan lik, ali predstavlja brojne djevojčice koje su, nama nevidljive, prolazile iste stvari kao i Parvana, svaki dan. Suočavale se s opasnostima, borile protiv nepravde, pokušavale napredovati u svijetu koji je odlučio ženama u tome otežati baš svaki korak. Parvana je prava moderna heroina, fiktivna, ali opet vrlo, vrlo stvarna. Shauzia također.
Priče o Parvani, Shauziji i djevojčicama njima nalik nasušno su nam potrebne. U svjetlu ove pandemije, više je no ikad došlo do izražaja da su ljudi u jako velikom postotku (nažalost) izrazito sebični i ignorantni, pogotovo kada se radi o brizi za druge, čak i kada ta briga od njih zahtijeva tek maleno (minorno!) odstupanje od vlastite komocije. Bojim se da nam se, kao čovječanstvu, ne piše baš dobro. Očajnički nam trebaju nove Parvane, Shauzije, Malale i Grete, nove Kati Kariko i Kathrin Jansen*. Snažne žene odlučne promijeniti svijet nabolje i svojim pričama i postignućima nadahnjivati druge da čine to isto. A nama preostaje da te priče čitamo - i širimo ih dalje.
--------------
*Kati Kariko napravila je pravu revoluciju u tehnologiji mRNA cjepiva, njena istraživanja temelj su Pfizerovog i Moderninog cjepiva protiv COVIDA-19. Kathrin Jansen otkrila je cjepivo protiv pneumokoka, a njen nastavak istraživanja koje su započeli Jian Zhou i Ian Frazer doveo je do otkrića cjepiva protiv HPV-a.
February 12, 2021
This is another excellent book by Deborah Ellis! I could imagine I was experiencing all those events with the characters!
May 23, 2021
The ending just melted my heart ♥️
New place in my bucket list: Lavender fields in France!
New place in my bucket list: Lavender fields in France!
August 24, 2018
All the time I was fearing the author was going to do something to the dog, so that kept me reading with a worried tone, the character has plot armor so she’s fine. We follow Parvana’s friend to a Refugee camp and a city in Pakistan also we follow her effort to leave and get to the sea.
June 3, 2016
دردناک
September 27, 2024
Shauzia is just such an asshole but I get it at the same time 🥲
August 15, 2019
The third book in Deborah Ellis's much-heralded Breadwinner Trilogy, Mud City follows the story of fourteen-year-old Shauzia, whose friend Parvana's story is featured in
The Breadwinner
and
Parvana's Journey
. Restless and unhappy in the women's compound of an Afghani refugee camp, Shauzia disguises herself as boy and seeks employment in the Pakistani city of Peshawar. But after a brief incarceration and an unsuccessful sojourn with an American family, she finds herself back where she started, slowly realizing that for a refugee, there is no easy escape...
Although it offered some welcome insights into the difficulties faced by refugees, as well as the cultural misunderstandings that frequently occur between westerners and the people of Afghanistan/Pakistan, I did not find Mud City as powerful a reading experience as the previous two in the series. I am unsure whether this is owing to the slightly less traumatic nature of the events chronicled, to the high expectations generated by the excellence of the first two titles, or to the fact that Shauzia makes a less likable heroine than Parvana. However that may be, although I would not rate this as highly as the others, it is still a worthwhile read, particularly given the dearth of good reading material for young readers about that part of the world.
Although it offered some welcome insights into the difficulties faced by refugees, as well as the cultural misunderstandings that frequently occur between westerners and the people of Afghanistan/Pakistan, I did not find Mud City as powerful a reading experience as the previous two in the series. I am unsure whether this is owing to the slightly less traumatic nature of the events chronicled, to the high expectations generated by the excellence of the first two titles, or to the fact that Shauzia makes a less likable heroine than Parvana. However that may be, although I would not rate this as highly as the others, it is still a worthwhile read, particularly given the dearth of good reading material for young readers about that part of the world.
May 10, 2018
Mud City is the third book in the Breadwinner series. Unlike, the first two books, this book is from the perspective of a girl named Shauzia, rather than Parvana. Shauzia is living in an Afghan refugee camp in Pakistan in 2001. Her constant isolation leads to boiling anger. She'll frequently get into arguments with Mrs. Weera, who is another woman in the camp. Something I like about the arguments that you rarely feel as if there is a right answer -- you're easily able to understand the perspective of both characters. Shauzia's naivete frequently becomes downright irritating. This book also feels like a complete detour. Three out of the four Breadwinner books are from the perspective of Shauzia's friend Parvana. The book would have been better as a spin-off. It doesn't work with the other three books as a complete story. Another problem is that some moments go by so quickly that you feel robbed of potential emotional impact and suspense. Too much time was spent on pointless an uninteresting parts of the book while other, more emotionally intense parts were rushed through. It felt as if this book was written with a checklist of information -- it's like this book was a school project about Afghan refugee camps. It does teach you a lot about the subject, but at the cost of emotional and narrative resonance.
April 21, 2015
I think my book Mud City was a very good book. I loved the part where Shauzia went into Peshawar. She went into that city ready to make money. She made plenty of money before she got put behind bars because of a scam. A man asked if she wanted money and gave her 100 rupees. Then he acted like she stole the money he gave her. That was one of the reasons I liked this book. I think that was the turning point in my book. Barbara’s husband Tom brought her back to his house.
Another reason I like this book is because of the suspense. It had me just excited for the next part of the book. One example is when angry men try to kill her dog. She gets away in time but still had a frightening experience. I also liked the part where she had to go to the clinic because she got a broken leg and became unconscious during a food riot in the camp. These were just a few of the best parts in this book.
I would rate this book an overall 4 star review. Shauzia never did get to the sea, so I took away one star. Instead of going to the she goes with Mrs Weera. She said that she would meet her friend in 20 years in paris. I’m not sure if this will happen but I hope it does.
Another reason I like this book is because of the suspense. It had me just excited for the next part of the book. One example is when angry men try to kill her dog. She gets away in time but still had a frightening experience. I also liked the part where she had to go to the clinic because she got a broken leg and became unconscious during a food riot in the camp. These were just a few of the best parts in this book.
I would rate this book an overall 4 star review. Shauzia never did get to the sea, so I took away one star. Instead of going to the she goes with Mrs Weera. She said that she would meet her friend in 20 years in paris. I’m not sure if this will happen but I hope it does.
July 15, 2016
It was a good book!
October 3, 2013
Very strange .turning points a lot wondering she gave a little girl a dog and go risk her live and go to help save lives
January 19, 2018
I thought the book did good showing emotion from a secondary character point of view. The book was really good showing how people have problems, and people who haven't experienced stuff can slip up.
April 17, 2025
Loved Shauzia’s story. So refreshing to read this series and they are all from children’s perspectives. How resilient, loving, strong willed and forgiving they are even in the most harsh situations is amazing so eye opening. The world would be a better place if we looked through the lenses of children.
July 4, 2023
Najlepsza z całej trylogii
February 28, 2023
Very good book! It was sad because she kept getting close to being able to go to the sea and then she couldn’t and she had to start over.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 10, 2025
A continuation of the series, but coming from a different perspective. Still fast-paced and short. I really liked this one and how it ties the other two books together. We really see what the community and people are like. The theme that I really enjoy throughout this series is HOPE. Ellis really captures that feeling of longing and knowing that there is something better out there. Highly recommend!
May 7, 2020
This is the 3rd book in the 3 book series, the 1st one being - Breadwinner and the 2nd one - Parvana's journey.
The story continues from where it was left in the 1st book - The breadwinner. The 1st book is the book that the one should read to understand all the characters and the background story. ' Parvana's Journey ' ( Book 2) takes one through Parvana's experiences and 'Mud city ' ( Book 3 ), takes one through Shauzia's journey. Book 2 and book 3 hardly have any connection so one can choose to read either Book 2 or Book 3 after Book 1 depending on which character one finds more captivating. Having said that both the books are great reads and I found both of them equally interesting.
So, ' Mud city', is the story about Shauzia, as she leaves Kabul along with Mrs. Weera, hoping that she will find a safe exit into Pakistan, from where, she will get to the sea and head towards the place of her dreams, France. But unfortunately, she lands up in a refugee camp at the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Although they are away from the extreme dangers faced under Taliban rule, the refugee camp has its own set of problems - lack of food, sanitation, medical facilities, and, to top it all, a lot of ambiguity about the future. She finds company in Jasper, a dog, who stays with her all the time but she is constantly discontent with what life has offered to her and wants to escape in search of a better future.
One day, she decides to take up her journey on her own and walks out of the refugee camp to the outskirts of Pakistan in Peshawar . Shauzia is young, fearless, and enthusiastic. She believes that she can earn money easily, which will help her get to the sea. But to her surprise, she finds that it is not as straightforward as she thought it would be. She does odd jobs to earn paltry sums of money to buy food for herself and Jasper, sleeps on the streets, faces dangers of all kinds, and even begs on the streets. Many times, her deeds and conduct make her feel undignified but with no other choice left, she ignores all those thoughts and moves on. As if these unpleasant encounters were not enough, one day, she lands up in jail and has to experience the harsh realities of jail life with other young boys - many of who are her age- as inmates. Shauzia comes out of that too but finally ends up coming back to the same refugee camp that she had left. But her travails are not yet over.
Life moves on and people in the camp continue to face the same everyday challenges. In the midst of all this, Shauzia continues to dream about going to France and keeps making her plans until, finally, one day she figures out where her steps should take her. She understands what she can do to make a difference. All this while, Mrs. Weera had tried to explain and reason out with Shauzia as to how she can prove to be resourceful, but Shauzia had always been absorbed in her own world and had never been able to understand the real meaning of it. Finally it occurs to her and when it does, Shauza knows exactly what to do.
It is a story that highlights the struggles of survival but also brings our attention to all the people who are constantly putting their efforts to bring about a positive change.
The story continues from where it was left in the 1st book - The breadwinner. The 1st book is the book that the one should read to understand all the characters and the background story. ' Parvana's Journey ' ( Book 2) takes one through Parvana's experiences and 'Mud city ' ( Book 3 ), takes one through Shauzia's journey. Book 2 and book 3 hardly have any connection so one can choose to read either Book 2 or Book 3 after Book 1 depending on which character one finds more captivating. Having said that both the books are great reads and I found both of them equally interesting.
So, ' Mud city', is the story about Shauzia, as she leaves Kabul along with Mrs. Weera, hoping that she will find a safe exit into Pakistan, from where, she will get to the sea and head towards the place of her dreams, France. But unfortunately, she lands up in a refugee camp at the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Although they are away from the extreme dangers faced under Taliban rule, the refugee camp has its own set of problems - lack of food, sanitation, medical facilities, and, to top it all, a lot of ambiguity about the future. She finds company in Jasper, a dog, who stays with her all the time but she is constantly discontent with what life has offered to her and wants to escape in search of a better future.
One day, she decides to take up her journey on her own and walks out of the refugee camp to the outskirts of Pakistan in Peshawar . Shauzia is young, fearless, and enthusiastic. She believes that she can earn money easily, which will help her get to the sea. But to her surprise, she finds that it is not as straightforward as she thought it would be. She does odd jobs to earn paltry sums of money to buy food for herself and Jasper, sleeps on the streets, faces dangers of all kinds, and even begs on the streets. Many times, her deeds and conduct make her feel undignified but with no other choice left, she ignores all those thoughts and moves on. As if these unpleasant encounters were not enough, one day, she lands up in jail and has to experience the harsh realities of jail life with other young boys - many of who are her age- as inmates. Shauzia comes out of that too but finally ends up coming back to the same refugee camp that she had left. But her travails are not yet over.
Life moves on and people in the camp continue to face the same everyday challenges. In the midst of all this, Shauzia continues to dream about going to France and keeps making her plans until, finally, one day she figures out where her steps should take her. She understands what she can do to make a difference. All this while, Mrs. Weera had tried to explain and reason out with Shauzia as to how she can prove to be resourceful, but Shauzia had always been absorbed in her own world and had never been able to understand the real meaning of it. Finally it occurs to her and when it does, Shauza knows exactly what to do.
It is a story that highlights the struggles of survival but also brings our attention to all the people who are constantly putting their efforts to bring about a positive change.
October 26, 2010
This book tells the story of Shauzia, a fourteen-year-old girl, who left Kabul, Afghanistan and is now living in the Widow's section of a refugee camp in Pakistan. Here at the camp she has become the focus of her old physical education teacher from Afghanistan, Mrs. Weera. At first we get a picture of Mrs. Weera as being a boss,insensitive dictator who lords over all the residents of 'Mud City'(what Shauzia has named the refugee camp). But as the book continues we find out Mrs. Weera is actually a gentle, yet strong woman who is trying to liberate as many women as possible from the Taliban in and around Afghanistan. When the story begins, the United States has not yet invaded Afghanistan and the Taliban are still in control over much of the country. Thousands of refugees have fled from the country and are now in refugee camps in Pakistan, where they are forced to beg for work and food.
Shauzia's constant companion is a dog she has named Jasper, which followed her from a shepherd's camp months earlier. Shauzia and Jasper leave the camp so that she can find work and save money to get to France. Shauzia, throughout the story, clings to a picture of a lavendar field in France where she hopes to one day live. She has left her family and their oppression and is off to find the means to achieving her dream. Shauzia travels to the closest city of Peshawar, where her and Jasper encounter both friends and foes. Her eyes are opened to the precarious nature of life in the city and suddenly the refugee camp doesn't look that bad.
After several mishaps and life-changing adventures, Shauzia finds herself back at the refugee camp and is able to see her surroundings and Mrs. Weera with new eyes. At the end of the story we find Shauzia giving her picture of France to a newly-found friend and running to catch up with Mrs. Weera who is going to sneak across the Afghanistan border and assist the hundreds of thousands of people trying to now escape US bombs and soldiers invading the country. Shauzia decides her dream can wait, and that she can no longer close her eyes to the suffering all around her.
The cover illustration depicts the refugee camp and Shauzia as both being formed out of what looks like mud. In the story, this is Shauzia's biggest fear, that she will become just like the mud around her, stuck. The illustration is perfect and truly captures her character's personality: a child with the eyes of a very old soul.
I would recommend this book for fifth graders on up through high school. The subject matter lends itself to many possible discussions and debates.
Shauzia's constant companion is a dog she has named Jasper, which followed her from a shepherd's camp months earlier. Shauzia and Jasper leave the camp so that she can find work and save money to get to France. Shauzia, throughout the story, clings to a picture of a lavendar field in France where she hopes to one day live. She has left her family and their oppression and is off to find the means to achieving her dream. Shauzia travels to the closest city of Peshawar, where her and Jasper encounter both friends and foes. Her eyes are opened to the precarious nature of life in the city and suddenly the refugee camp doesn't look that bad.
After several mishaps and life-changing adventures, Shauzia finds herself back at the refugee camp and is able to see her surroundings and Mrs. Weera with new eyes. At the end of the story we find Shauzia giving her picture of France to a newly-found friend and running to catch up with Mrs. Weera who is going to sneak across the Afghanistan border and assist the hundreds of thousands of people trying to now escape US bombs and soldiers invading the country. Shauzia decides her dream can wait, and that she can no longer close her eyes to the suffering all around her.
The cover illustration depicts the refugee camp and Shauzia as both being formed out of what looks like mud. In the story, this is Shauzia's biggest fear, that she will become just like the mud around her, stuck. The illustration is perfect and truly captures her character's personality: a child with the eyes of a very old soul.
I would recommend this book for fifth graders on up through high school. The subject matter lends itself to many possible discussions and debates.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 19, 2009
This book wasn't as engaging as The Breadwinner or Parvana's Journey, both of which followed Parvana, but Shauzia's story was still pretty interesting. We first met Shauzia in The Breadwinner and this book picks up with her living in a women's refugee camp in Pakistan. She lives with bossy Mrs. Weera and is determined to leave the camp for France. She does actually leave and spends some time living in Peshwar, Pakistan but I felt like the sequence in Peshwar was just a bit too unbelievable. Ellis let her imagination run wild and it just didn't seem very realistic so I was a bit annoyed with her for this. Plus, I found the character of Shauzia to be bratty and irritating. She whined a whole lot more than Parvana and although I totally understand her feeling frustrated, I felt like it was way too over the top, given everything that was going on around her. Overall I still enjoyed this book but it was not of Breadwinner caliber.
March 4, 2015
The realistic-fiction book, Mud City, by Deborah Ellis is a fantastic entry in the Breadwinner series. Not only is the story phenomenal in itself, it also sheds some light on the suffering of many people that is still happening in the Middle-East. The story takes Shauzia, a young girl who has fled Afghanistan and now resides in Pakistan with her dog Jasper, and her aspiration to one day end up living in France. Shauzia is hard working and determined to reach her goal of one day making it to France. The story is engaging and creative, with many cliff hangers and moments that leave you with only one option - to turn the page. The book even made me ponder on how lucky I am to be in the situation that I'm in today, with shelter and food. This book is immensely entertaining yet deep, and I can't express that enough. I recommend this book to anybody who is looking for an entertaining read that they can't put down, or wants to learn about the hardships of many in other parts of the world. I highly recommend this book, and I'm giving it a 5/5.
March 24, 2015
I love the first book in this series, Breadwinner, and the second is OK, but this books was disappointing to me. I wanted the loose ends tied up and it didn't do that. I've had it on my to read for a long time, but others could skip this one. Not worth the time. **stop here for spoilers** Parvanah's friend Shauzia is the main character in this book. She is her same selfish person. She experiences street life, jail time, rich life with Americans, and refugee camp. She isn't happy anywhere she goes. She tries to help and creates a food panic/riot. She wants to get to France and her picture of the flowers. Finally at the end of the book she realizes her dream is not realistic and she goes with Mrs. Weera to help people in Afghanistan. So, she redeems herself somewhat. But as the third book of a trilogy, I expected to see Parvana, and find out what happened to her as well. She isn't mentioned much. So, it leaves you hanging still. Skip this one.
January 31, 2017
Melewatkan buku kedua dan langsung membaca buku ketiga trilogi Parvana dan masih berharap bisa memperoleh buku kedua.
Buku ketiga ini tentang Shauzia , sahabat Parvana. Shauzia dan Parvana telah berjanji untuk kelak bertemu lagi di Paris, tepatnya di menara Eiffel. Mereka bertekad meninggalkan Afghanistan, negeri mereka yang porak poranda karena perang.
Shauzia tinggal di tempat penampungan janda diperbatasan Afghanistan dan Pakistan. Bersama bu Weeta yang suka memerintah , menyuruhnya melakukan pekerjaan-pekerjaan kecil dan mendengkur dengan keras di malam hari. Setiap malam Shauzia menghadapi dilema antara pilihan untuk mendengarkan dengkuran di tenda atau keluar tapi tidak memperoleh privasi karena harus berdesak-desakan dengan yang lain.
Shauzia bertekad meninggalkan tempat itu untuk pergi kelaut dan selanjut menuju Perancis. Apa yang dilalui oleh Shauzia dalam perjalanannya memperoleh uang untuk membeli tiket perjalanannya memerihkan hati.
Peace world....peace
Buku ketiga ini tentang Shauzia , sahabat Parvana. Shauzia dan Parvana telah berjanji untuk kelak bertemu lagi di Paris, tepatnya di menara Eiffel. Mereka bertekad meninggalkan Afghanistan, negeri mereka yang porak poranda karena perang.
Shauzia tinggal di tempat penampungan janda diperbatasan Afghanistan dan Pakistan. Bersama bu Weeta yang suka memerintah , menyuruhnya melakukan pekerjaan-pekerjaan kecil dan mendengkur dengan keras di malam hari. Setiap malam Shauzia menghadapi dilema antara pilihan untuk mendengarkan dengkuran di tenda atau keluar tapi tidak memperoleh privasi karena harus berdesak-desakan dengan yang lain.
Shauzia bertekad meninggalkan tempat itu untuk pergi kelaut dan selanjut menuju Perancis. Apa yang dilalui oleh Shauzia dalam perjalanannya memperoleh uang untuk membeli tiket perjalanannya memerihkan hati.
Peace world....peace
November 20, 2013
Today, I finished Mud City, the third book in the Breadwinner trilogy. I first came acquainted with the Breadwinner trilogy when I read the first book over August. I loved it so much that when I returned to school, I instantly took the sequels (Parvana's Journey and Mud City) out of the library!
Mud City is a fast moving novel, and I'm used to books like these. The only problem is that I believe the story was a bit rushed, and a little predictable. I loved the characters, and I would love to see possibly one more novel where Parvana and Shauzia meet up again.
In conclusion, I give Mud City...
4/5 Stars!
Mud City is a fast moving novel, and I'm used to books like these. The only problem is that I believe the story was a bit rushed, and a little predictable. I loved the characters, and I would love to see possibly one more novel where Parvana and Shauzia meet up again.
In conclusion, I give Mud City...
4/5 Stars!
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