The Breadwinner

by Shelley Tanaka (Other)

Young Parvana lives with her family in one room of a bombed-out apartment building in Kabul, Afghanistan. Because Parvana's father has a foreign education, he is arrested by the Taliban. Women cannot appear in public unless covered head to toe, go to school, or work outside the home, so the family becomes increasingly desperate until Parvana conceives a plan.

Based on the original book by Deborah Ellis, adapted from the feature film directed by Nora Twomey

77 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2017

Reviews

[Shannon Green-Kingery · Rating 5 out of 5]

A couple of years ago, I satumbled upon the lovely animated films produced by the company Cartoon Saloon. The two I saw were "The Secret of the Kells" and "Song of the Sea", which were both Oscar-nominated and quite simply unique. I knew of a third--"Breadwinner"-- but I had never gotten to see it. It was based on a best-selling children's novel by Deborah Ellis. This book is a graphic adaptation of the story and it tells the tale of 11-year-old Parvana who must dress as a boy after her father is unjustly imprisoned so that she can support her family during the rule of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Its atmospheric and haunting graphics are perfectly suited to convey the oppression felt by all (but especially the women and girls) during that dark period of Afghan history. It makes one realize how fragile are the freedoms women enjoy in this country and how easily they could disappear if we are not vigilent. Brava!