What do you think?
Rate this book
Parvana: A Graphic Novel
This beautiful graphic-novel adaptation of the animated film, inspired by Deborah Ellis's beloved novel, tells the story of eleven-year-old Parvana.
When soldiers burst into her home and drag her father off to prison, Parvana is forced to take responsibility for her whole family, dressing as a boy to make a living in the marketplace of Kabul, risking her life in the dangerous and volatile city.
By turns exciting and touching, Parvana is a story of courage in the face of overwhelming fear and repression. Readers will want to linger over this powerful graphic novel with its striking art and inspiring story.
When soldiers burst into her home and drag her father off to prison, Parvana is forced to take responsibility for her whole family, dressing as a boy to make a living in the marketplace of Kabul, risking her life in the dangerous and volatile city.
By turns exciting and touching, Parvana is a story of courage in the face of overwhelming fear and repression. Readers will want to linger over this powerful graphic novel with its striking art and inspiring story.
80 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2017
13 people are currently reading
166 people want to read
About the author
Deborah Ellis
59 books600 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
July 27, 2021
An eye-opening read about the long-standing unrest in Afghanistan. This graphic novel also shows the oppression that women there have to endure, such as having to cover up and not being allowed out without their husbands. Such an important read!
January 12, 2021
parvana is an 11yo girl who lives in kabul, afghanistan with her family. one day, her father was arrested by soldiers for having a foreign education and parvana is forced to take responsibility for her whole family.
this was actually adapted from an animation film ((renamed: "the breadwinner" in the US)) which i have yet to watch even though i felt like i have heard it somewhere...anyways, this is such a difficult read, knowing that such social repression still exists even up till today. i read an article from thenewhumanitarian.org not too long ago about how violence increases for afghan women during this covid-19 and it mentioned:
"almost 90% of afghan women have experienced at least one form of physical, sexual or psychological violence in their lifetime"
along the story, parvana was also teased by a group of soldier men which also resulted to violence. parvana then was forced to cut her hair and disguise herself as a boy so that she can go out in the city and make a living.
i think the film would give a much visual understanding of the situation but i felt that this graphic novel is equally important to be read by everyone to promote education/awareness on gender-based violence. there is also this lil historical note at the back of the book which i appreciate so much.
this was actually adapted from an animation film ((renamed: "the breadwinner" in the US)) which i have yet to watch even though i felt like i have heard it somewhere...anyways, this is such a difficult read, knowing that such social repression still exists even up till today. i read an article from thenewhumanitarian.org not too long ago about how violence increases for afghan women during this covid-19 and it mentioned:
"almost 90% of afghan women have experienced at least one form of physical, sexual or psychological violence in their lifetime"
along the story, parvana was also teased by a group of soldier men which also resulted to violence. parvana then was forced to cut her hair and disguise herself as a boy so that she can go out in the city and make a living.
i think the film would give a much visual understanding of the situation but i felt that this graphic novel is equally important to be read by everyone to promote education/awareness on gender-based violence. there is also this lil historical note at the back of the book which i appreciate so much.
August 27, 2023
A beautiful graphic novel with a sometimes heartbreaking story about the life of a struggling family under Taliban rule in Afghanistan. I haven't read the original novel this adaptation is based on, but I was impressed by how well this short graphic novel encapsulates the complex history and grim realities of life in one of the 21st century's most scarred and war-torn countries for a middle grade audience.
March 19, 2022
Immagini veramente ben fatte. La storia è davvero molto carina, peccato che è molto breve.
March 3, 2023
Excellent book. Vividly describes life in warring Afghanistan and is overall a great book.
September 15, 2025
RECENSIONE SOTTO IL BURQA:
Il libro non mi è piaciuto per nulla, ma per il semplice motivo che è un Romanzo storico.
L'HO letto per scuola e non mi ha appassionato per nulla, sorratemi ma 2 stelle tirata.
Il libro non mi è piaciuto per nulla, ma per il semplice motivo che è un Romanzo storico.
L'HO letto per scuola e non mi ha appassionato per nulla, sorratemi ma 2 stelle tirata.
February 23, 2019
This book is something that everyone should take their time to read. Everyone. So much story told in this book, it brought so much emotion and lesson to one, that even if you don't like history, this book makes you want to understand it so much more. It touch on Afghanistan history just on the surface, yet there is so much more going on in the country in our daily lives, and it just hurts my heart to see that so many people live like Pravana's family. So many things go on in that country, you can't even tell what started what, and everything is really just chaotic, especially how they restricts the females from going to school and how they should wear their clothes. I don't understand why they have to treat the females as their property, it was so frustrating to read!
I'm really glad this was turned into a graphic novel, because otherwise, I wouldn't even have known about the book, or that it even existed. Now it just makes me want to read more about the book to find out more about the characters, as well as how the story progresses in the country.
A really great read, 5/5 would recommend to everyone.
I'm really glad this was turned into a graphic novel, because otherwise, I wouldn't even have known about the book, or that it even existed. Now it just makes me want to read more about the book to find out more about the characters, as well as how the story progresses in the country.
A really great read, 5/5 would recommend to everyone.
January 24, 2018
A beautiful graphic novel that illustrated a very critical time in Afghanistan, a time under the Taliban regime. A time when the country was in complete dissaray due to war, girls were forbidden to go to school, music and books were outlawed, strict curfews imposed and you couldn't go anywhere without risk of stepping on a land mine. This story follows Parvana who takes it upon herself to save her father from a notorious prison - his crime? teaching his daughter to read. I read in one sitting and I found this to be a real eye opener and a tear jerker!! The illustrations are very well done and the story very easy to follow. I find this to be an important story of a very bad time in our world's history. Many thanks to Allen and Unwin for sending me a review copy for this one.
February 22, 2018
I loved the illustrations in this brief graphic novel retelling of Parvana. It would be perfect to engage reluctant readers. Highly recommended
September 18, 2019
Ho pianto. E ora voglio leggere il romanzo e guardare il film di animazione.
February 19, 2023
shows the reality of what it was and is still like to live in under Taliban rule. very original and a quick read.
August 9, 2020
Un fumetto duro, basato su una storia che, seppur fittizia, si ispira alla reale condizione delle donne afghane che vivono sotto il regime talebano.
Una storia di privazione della libertà personale, degli affetti più cari, di violenza.
Ma è anche una storia d’amore, di determinazione, di speranza.
Sotto il burqa è un graphic novel tratto dal film d’animazione ispirato all’omonimo romanzo di Debora Ellis.
Parvana ne è la protagonista, una bambina afghana a tratti ribelle, che farà di tutto pur di riunire la famiglia e rendere giustizia al padre, incarcerato senza un reale motivo ma solo perché ha osato esprimere le proprie opinioni e difeso la figlia.
Sotto il Burqa è un fumetto che insegna moltissimo, invita a lottare per la propria libertà con determinazione ma non con la forza vendicativa. Mai rispondere alla violenza con altra violenza.
Una storia di privazione della libertà personale, degli affetti più cari, di violenza.
Ma è anche una storia d’amore, di determinazione, di speranza.
Sotto il burqa è un graphic novel tratto dal film d’animazione ispirato all’omonimo romanzo di Debora Ellis.
Parvana ne è la protagonista, una bambina afghana a tratti ribelle, che farà di tutto pur di riunire la famiglia e rendere giustizia al padre, incarcerato senza un reale motivo ma solo perché ha osato esprimere le proprie opinioni e difeso la figlia.
Sotto il Burqa è un fumetto che insegna moltissimo, invita a lottare per la propria libertà con determinazione ma non con la forza vendicativa. Mai rispondere alla violenza con altra violenza.
January 30, 2024
Una storia vera che mi ha commosso moltissimo. I disegni sono meravigliosi e le situazioni mostrate fanno riflettere il lettore con un po' di consapevolezza in più.
Alcuni sequenze di scene secondo me non sono mostrate in modo corretto, sopratutto per i salti temporali, ma è un dettaglio in confronto alla veridicità che esplora questa graphic novel semplice e immediata!
Alcuni sequenze di scene secondo me non sono mostrate in modo corretto, sopratutto per i salti temporali, ma è un dettaglio in confronto alla veridicità che esplora questa graphic novel semplice e immediata!
January 25, 2020
Stupendo, dovrebbe essere letto da tutti!
July 23, 2021
• une bande dessinée sympathique
November 27, 2022
"Parvana: Une enfance en Afghanistan" est le premier tome d'une série canadienne de quatre tomes sur une jeune Afghane de 11 ans, Parvana, et la réalité politico-sociale de son pays, écrasé et opprimé par le régime extrémiste taliban. Si Parvana elle-même est fictive, le contexte de son histoire est bien réel.
Parvana est né dans une Afghanistan en guerre, mais les choses ont empiré lors de la prise de Kaboul par les extrémistes talibans. Forcé de fuir maisons après maisons, détruites par les bombes, la famille de Parvana tente de survivre, dans ce pays qui fut autrefois florissant et moderne. Confinés dans un appartement minuscule, seul le père de Parvana, en sa qualité d'homme, est autorisé à sortir. Seule Parvana, cachée sous son tchador, est autorisée à suivre son père, car elle lui sert d'appuis, l'homme ayant perdu sa jambe et ayant vendu sa prothèse pour nourrir sa famille. Ils vendent tous les jours des objets qu'ils sont parvenus à garder et vendent la Lecture et l'Écriture, car l'analphabétisme est encore dominant. Un jour, cependant, des talibans viennent arrêter le Père de Parvana, furieux de le savoir instruit en Angleterre. Expédié en prison sans motifs ni toute forme de procès, la famille de Parvana doit se réorganiser. Comptant sur l'appuie de madame Weera, ancienne enseignante de sports, Parvana endosse alors un nouveau rôle: celui de Kaseem, un garçon de 11 ans, revêtant les habits de son aîné décédé, Hossain. le quotidien de Parvana est alors teinté d'une nouvelle liberté, mais elle est alors exposée aux horreurs commises par les Talibans.
Tout comme le roman "Le courage d'Amal", d'Aischa Seed, le récit de Parvana nous mène au Moyen-Orient, malheureusement trop connu pour ses guerres et ses factions extrémistes musulmanes. Pourtant, dans ce roman comme dans l'autre, on apprend que les gens de ces pays avait une culture dont ils étaient fiers et dont ils se font les gardiens, en ces temps incertains. Le père de Parvana, instruit et sage, nous livre quelques pans d'Histoire, racontant avec fierté le courage des femmes Aghanes, l'hospitalité de son peuple dont il est très fier, les marchés florissants et la beauté des villes. Un Afghanistan que nous , étrangers, ne connaissons pas du tout. C'est donc une part très intéressante de ce roman d'entendre parler de leur culture.
Également, vous serez confronté à un phénomène social assez particulier qui a court dans les pays du Moyen-Orient: le phénomène Basha Posh, soit les jeunes filles travesties en garçons dans les familles qui n'ont plus d'hommes ou dont les garçons sont trop jeunes. Il existe de plus en plus de romans sur le sujet.
Parvana fait écho à Amal, à Malala, à Farroukzad, à Mina et Amal, à Amel, à tous ces personnages, réelles ou fictives, du Moyen-Orient qui sont des filles fortes et courageuses, dans une civilisation parasitée qui ont réduit les femmes à moins que rien. D'abord effrayée, elle prendra en assurance et fera tout en œuvre pour soutenir sa famille. Mais alors qu' Amal, Malala et Farroukzad ont 14-15 ans, Parvana n'en a que 11. Comme les autres, elle est éduquée plus que la grande majorité des citoyens, mais contrairement aux autres, elle ne saisi pas tous les enjeux et est moins mature. Néanmoins, pour une si jeune fille, elle est confrontée à des situations particulièrement difficiles. Je pense notamment à cette arène de soccer dans laquelle on exécute ou démembre des "criminels" ou encore à ce commerce d'ossements pigés à même les tombes.
C'est un petit roman relativement court, bien écrit, dont la portée du sujets et le degré de violence en présence conviendrait aux Lecteurs de 11-12 ans, ou du troisième cycle primaire en montant. Vous trouverez également un lexique pour les mots plus exotiques.
J'apprécie beaucoup ce genre de roman, car il nous entraine dans le quotidien d'enfants de par le monde dont la réalité tranche radicalement avec le nôtre, douillet et sécuritaire. Il est bon de confronter nos jeunes à la réalité d'ailleurs, ne serait-ce que pour prendre conscience de sa chance et mieux apprécier son confort. Ne serait-ce que pour comprendre l'énorme chance d'être étudiant, qu'on soit un garçon ou une fille.
À découvrir!
Cette histoire est également disponible en version BD et cinématographique.
P.S: " Tous les droits de l'auteure provenant de la vente de ce livre seront versés à Canadian Women for women in Afghanistan ( www.cw4wafghan.ca) afin de venir en aide au fonds Parvana's Fund qui soutient les projets en matière d'éducation à l'intention des femmes et des enfants afghans," ( Note en bas de 4e de couverture)
Catégorisation: Roman fiction canadien, littérature jeunesse adolescente, premier cycle secondaire, 13-15 ans+
Note: 8/10
Parvana est né dans une Afghanistan en guerre, mais les choses ont empiré lors de la prise de Kaboul par les extrémistes talibans. Forcé de fuir maisons après maisons, détruites par les bombes, la famille de Parvana tente de survivre, dans ce pays qui fut autrefois florissant et moderne. Confinés dans un appartement minuscule, seul le père de Parvana, en sa qualité d'homme, est autorisé à sortir. Seule Parvana, cachée sous son tchador, est autorisée à suivre son père, car elle lui sert d'appuis, l'homme ayant perdu sa jambe et ayant vendu sa prothèse pour nourrir sa famille. Ils vendent tous les jours des objets qu'ils sont parvenus à garder et vendent la Lecture et l'Écriture, car l'analphabétisme est encore dominant. Un jour, cependant, des talibans viennent arrêter le Père de Parvana, furieux de le savoir instruit en Angleterre. Expédié en prison sans motifs ni toute forme de procès, la famille de Parvana doit se réorganiser. Comptant sur l'appuie de madame Weera, ancienne enseignante de sports, Parvana endosse alors un nouveau rôle: celui de Kaseem, un garçon de 11 ans, revêtant les habits de son aîné décédé, Hossain. le quotidien de Parvana est alors teinté d'une nouvelle liberté, mais elle est alors exposée aux horreurs commises par les Talibans.
Tout comme le roman "Le courage d'Amal", d'Aischa Seed, le récit de Parvana nous mène au Moyen-Orient, malheureusement trop connu pour ses guerres et ses factions extrémistes musulmanes. Pourtant, dans ce roman comme dans l'autre, on apprend que les gens de ces pays avait une culture dont ils étaient fiers et dont ils se font les gardiens, en ces temps incertains. Le père de Parvana, instruit et sage, nous livre quelques pans d'Histoire, racontant avec fierté le courage des femmes Aghanes, l'hospitalité de son peuple dont il est très fier, les marchés florissants et la beauté des villes. Un Afghanistan que nous , étrangers, ne connaissons pas du tout. C'est donc une part très intéressante de ce roman d'entendre parler de leur culture.
Également, vous serez confronté à un phénomène social assez particulier qui a court dans les pays du Moyen-Orient: le phénomène Basha Posh, soit les jeunes filles travesties en garçons dans les familles qui n'ont plus d'hommes ou dont les garçons sont trop jeunes. Il existe de plus en plus de romans sur le sujet.
Parvana fait écho à Amal, à Malala, à Farroukzad, à Mina et Amal, à Amel, à tous ces personnages, réelles ou fictives, du Moyen-Orient qui sont des filles fortes et courageuses, dans une civilisation parasitée qui ont réduit les femmes à moins que rien. D'abord effrayée, elle prendra en assurance et fera tout en œuvre pour soutenir sa famille. Mais alors qu' Amal, Malala et Farroukzad ont 14-15 ans, Parvana n'en a que 11. Comme les autres, elle est éduquée plus que la grande majorité des citoyens, mais contrairement aux autres, elle ne saisi pas tous les enjeux et est moins mature. Néanmoins, pour une si jeune fille, elle est confrontée à des situations particulièrement difficiles. Je pense notamment à cette arène de soccer dans laquelle on exécute ou démembre des "criminels" ou encore à ce commerce d'ossements pigés à même les tombes.
C'est un petit roman relativement court, bien écrit, dont la portée du sujets et le degré de violence en présence conviendrait aux Lecteurs de 11-12 ans, ou du troisième cycle primaire en montant. Vous trouverez également un lexique pour les mots plus exotiques.
J'apprécie beaucoup ce genre de roman, car il nous entraine dans le quotidien d'enfants de par le monde dont la réalité tranche radicalement avec le nôtre, douillet et sécuritaire. Il est bon de confronter nos jeunes à la réalité d'ailleurs, ne serait-ce que pour prendre conscience de sa chance et mieux apprécier son confort. Ne serait-ce que pour comprendre l'énorme chance d'être étudiant, qu'on soit un garçon ou une fille.
À découvrir!
Cette histoire est également disponible en version BD et cinématographique.
P.S: " Tous les droits de l'auteure provenant de la vente de ce livre seront versés à Canadian Women for women in Afghanistan ( www.cw4wafghan.ca) afin de venir en aide au fonds Parvana's Fund qui soutient les projets en matière d'éducation à l'intention des femmes et des enfants afghans," ( Note en bas de 4e de couverture)
Catégorisation: Roman fiction canadien, littérature jeunesse adolescente, premier cycle secondaire, 13-15 ans+
Note: 8/10
October 31, 2023
Representation: Asian characters
Trigger warnings: Kidnapping, abuse, death of a father, sexism, persecution
Score: Seven points out of ten.
This review can also be found on The StoryGraph.
7/10, this was an enjoyable novel despite it being less than 100 pages yet it still manages to be a well executed one albeit being rather heartbreaking. It starts off with the main character Parvana living with her family but she lives in Taliban controlled Afghanistan in 2001 which is just an awful place to live there but anyways some Taliban soldiers arrive to interrogate her father and take him away and she would do anything to find him again. Towards the middle of the book she disguises herself and goes off alone continuing on her quest, financially supporting herself and meeting some other characters along the way however I also liked how her father explained the backstory of Afghanistan so creatively and the power of stories as well. In the last part she eventually does find her father; this moment soon turns bittersweet as he passes right in front of her eyes before she talks about the power of stories and people again ending the story, besides that the colour palette and art style look pleasing to the eyes and feels like a realistic artists' impression of a town in Afghanistan. I'm surprised that I've never even heard of this story until I picked it up and of course it was worth reading though the original novel could be just as good.
Trigger warnings: Kidnapping, abuse, death of a father, sexism, persecution
Score: Seven points out of ten.
This review can also be found on The StoryGraph.
7/10, this was an enjoyable novel despite it being less than 100 pages yet it still manages to be a well executed one albeit being rather heartbreaking. It starts off with the main character Parvana living with her family but she lives in Taliban controlled Afghanistan in 2001 which is just an awful place to live there but anyways some Taliban soldiers arrive to interrogate her father and take him away and she would do anything to find him again. Towards the middle of the book she disguises herself and goes off alone continuing on her quest, financially supporting herself and meeting some other characters along the way however I also liked how her father explained the backstory of Afghanistan so creatively and the power of stories as well. In the last part she eventually does find her father; this moment soon turns bittersweet as he passes right in front of her eyes before she talks about the power of stories and people again ending the story, besides that the colour palette and art style look pleasing to the eyes and feels like a realistic artists' impression of a town in Afghanistan. I'm surprised that I've never even heard of this story until I picked it up and of course it was worth reading though the original novel could be just as good.
March 15, 2024
🌾Ispirata al romanzo di Deborah Ellis e tratta dal film di animazione di Nora Twomey, questa incantevole graphic novel racconta la storia di Parvana, undici anni, afghana. La bambina, come tutte le donne sotto il regime talebano, non è libera di girare da sola per il paese ma quando il padre viene arrestato si veste da uomo ed esce di casa, per provvedere alla sua famiglia che non ha più scorte di cibo e risparmi.
🌾È una storia molto toccante, che farebbe commuovere anche l’animo meno sensibile, una storia di indipendenza e libertà. Parvana, per salvare la sua famiglia, si ribella ad un regime che le nega tutto, sfidandolo con tanto coraggio, nonostante la sua giovane età.
🌾Ancora oggi molte donne si trovano ad affrontare una vita come quella di Parvana, un’esistenza privata di tutto e quasi senza un senso. Matrimoni combinati, minacce, conflitti e povertà. Una vita che non può esser chiamata vita.
🌾In questa graphic novel spesso sono le immagini a parlare, con colori cupi e freddi, alcune vicende sono poco approfondite infatti guarderò il film d’animazione per cogliere al meglio ogni dettaglio di questa storia straziante ma che ci porta a riflettere su una condizione della donna che, lontana dalla nostra, esiste tutt’oggi ed è giusto combattere.
🌾È una storia molto toccante, che farebbe commuovere anche l’animo meno sensibile, una storia di indipendenza e libertà. Parvana, per salvare la sua famiglia, si ribella ad un regime che le nega tutto, sfidandolo con tanto coraggio, nonostante la sua giovane età.
🌾Ancora oggi molte donne si trovano ad affrontare una vita come quella di Parvana, un’esistenza privata di tutto e quasi senza un senso. Matrimoni combinati, minacce, conflitti e povertà. Una vita che non può esser chiamata vita.
🌾In questa graphic novel spesso sono le immagini a parlare, con colori cupi e freddi, alcune vicende sono poco approfondite infatti guarderò il film d’animazione per cogliere al meglio ogni dettaglio di questa storia straziante ma che ci porta a riflettere su una condizione della donna che, lontana dalla nostra, esiste tutt’oggi ed è giusto combattere.
November 10, 2018
Stunning. This emotionally charged, visually gratifying graphic novel compels a need to know more and venture further. I have not read The Breadwinner yet but was so enarmoured by this portrayal of Parvana's story that I am now compelled to do so. There may be no need for me to see the movie rendition though as this sombre tale about a girl who must disguise herself as a boy to make a living in the stricken city of Kabul to support her family and reconnect with her imprisoned father is so convincingly expressed through Elllis' stirring narrative and dramatic artwork (from which this version was adapted) that it leaves nothing wanting. Dramatic, poignant and inexplicably beautiful, like Afghanistan's people. This story is itself complete and will appeal to many even those (children) who are unaware of the historic atrocities leading up to Parvana's story. Especially useful for those resistant to history and reading full scale novels.
December 26, 2018
Age – 9+
Parvana’s story begins in 2001 in a market in Kabul, Afghanistan. Her family is poor, and they are selling their possessions for food. Their country is under Taliban rule, with strict regulations about women, including no schooling, no working outside the home, and strict clothing conditions.
When Parvana’s father is arrested, it is up to her to buy food, collect water and fulfill other needs of her family – but it is against Taliban rulings to be on the streets alone as a girl or woman.
Parvana does the only thing left – cutting off her hair and dressing as a boy. But war soon breaks out. Can she find her father? Can she evade the Taliban? Can she save her family?
A Historical Note completes this heartbreaking tale, (adapted from the hugely popular book by Deborah Ellis), by explaining the fate of the Afghan people from 1979 through to today.
Parvana’s story begins in 2001 in a market in Kabul, Afghanistan. Her family is poor, and they are selling their possessions for food. Their country is under Taliban rule, with strict regulations about women, including no schooling, no working outside the home, and strict clothing conditions.
When Parvana’s father is arrested, it is up to her to buy food, collect water and fulfill other needs of her family – but it is against Taliban rulings to be on the streets alone as a girl or woman.
Parvana does the only thing left – cutting off her hair and dressing as a boy. But war soon breaks out. Can she find her father? Can she evade the Taliban? Can she save her family?
A Historical Note completes this heartbreaking tale, (adapted from the hugely popular book by Deborah Ellis), by explaining the fate of the Afghan people from 1979 through to today.
September 9, 2018
Our school received this book for our participation in Readers’ Cup this year and after one of my kidlets read it he told me that he highly recommended it and that it would have me in tears. I took his recommendation and I’m so glad. This is a moving and important text about the critical political and conflict ridden history of Afghanistan and its effect on families, focusing on young women. Would recommend as a way to introduce world conflict to students and start deep conversations around what is right. Could also connect to asylum seekers.
Recommend to ages 9+
Format: Paperback
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
2018: 33/40 books
Recommend to ages 9+
Format: Paperback
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
2018: 33/40 books
Read
November 28, 2019This book made me think about the troubles that some people are facing in the world right now, even though we might not realise it when the author said "These are unusual times. They call for ordinary people to do unusual things, just to get by"
The writer is teaching us about love and loyalty because these are important traits to have, to have love for someone and to stick by them no matter what.
In my opinion, This book introduces people to things that they think have been overcome and are in the past when really some things are still happening right now.
(Graphic novel)
The writer is teaching us about love and loyalty because these are important traits to have, to have love for someone and to stick by them no matter what.
In my opinion, This book introduces people to things that they think have been overcome and are in the past when really some things are still happening right now.
(Graphic novel)
June 8, 2018
Simply, but beautifully told story of Parvana, the brave 11yo who takes responsibility for her whole family when Taliban soldiers drag her father to prison. Dialogue is simple and the illustrations are beautiful, and the colours are stunning.
A strong reminder of the liberties and freedoms we take for granted every day and which are denied to people everywhere just because of where they were born.
A strong reminder of the liberties and freedoms we take for granted every day and which are denied to people everywhere just because of where they were born.
August 20, 2025
Extraordinary illustrations by Nora Twomey.
Beautifully produced book.
Moving, confronting story.
Sparse text, sometimes a little too sparse. I read the novel some years ago, and it helped me fill the gaps.
Very moving to know that author Deborah Ellis has contributed millions in royalties to organizations to help Women in Afghanistan, UNICEF and Street Kids International.
Beautifully produced book.
Moving, confronting story.
Sparse text, sometimes a little too sparse. I read the novel some years ago, and it helped me fill the gaps.
Very moving to know that author Deborah Ellis has contributed millions in royalties to organizations to help Women in Afghanistan, UNICEF and Street Kids International.
March 31, 2018
This graphic novel would be great for Stage 3 students. Parvana is a girl in Afghanistan who cuts her hair and dresses like a boy to look after her family when her father is imprisoned. A powerful version of the novel by Deborah Ellis
July 15, 2019
This was my second graphic novel. Today I felt like branching out into the graphic novel world and this was a good start. It was very confronting. Although it was short, it was still very captivating. Would definitely recomend for a short, meaningful read.
July 1, 2022
This was sweet, but ultimately felt a bit shallow given the content of the original text. However, I do appreciate it is targeted at a much younger audience. The ending was also super abrupt and felt unfinished.
March 1, 2024
Une lecture importante ! C'est une belle bande dessinée avec une histoire déchirante sur la vie d'une famille en difficulté sous le règne des talibans en Afghanistan. Ça résume bien l'histoire complexe et les réalités sombres de la vie de ce pays.
December 14, 2024
This was written for white audiences so it didn’t really impress me but I liked the cultural references. And again, because it is written by a white woman, even though she did mention the proxy war started by America, the damage to civilian life caused by the U.S. military was minimized.
October 10, 2018
Très beau et bien fait, encore une fois, je réalise que je suis chanceuse de me sentir en sécurité chez moi.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews