My Name Is Parvana

The Breadwinner Finale Story explores the deeply impactful Islamic culture through the lens of an unfamiliar Afghanistan, focusing on the lives of women and children. This final book in the Breadwinner series depicts the story of Shaujia, who follows his family back to Afghanistan with the hope of reuniting at the Eiffel Tower in Paris 20 years later. Along with highlighting human rights issues, the book encourages reflection and appreciation for the freedoms enjoyed in the present. The fourth book in the internationally bestselling series that includes The Breadwinner, Parvana’s Journey, and Mud City. In this stunning sequel, Parvana, now fifteen, is found in a bombed-out school and held as a suspected terrorist by American troops in Afghanistan. American authorities have just imprisoned a teenaged girl found in a bombed-out school after the fall of the Taliban in 2001. The army major thinks she may be a terrorist working with the Taliban. The girl does not respond to questions in any language and remains silent, even when threatened, harassed, and mistreated over several days. The only clue to her identity is a tattered shoulder bag containing papers that refer to people named Shauzia, Nooria, Leila, Asif, Hassan, and Parvana. Parvana is now fifteen years old and remembers the past four years of her life as she waits for foreign military forces to determine her fate. Reunited with her mother and sisters, she has been living in a village where her mother has finally managed to open a school for girls. Despite the Taliban being driven from the government, the country remains at war, and many view the education and freedom of girls and women with suspicion and fear. As her family settles into the routine of running the school, Parvana finds herself restless and bored, even considering running away. However, when local men threaten the school and her family, she must summon all her bravery and resilience to survive the disaster that kills her mother, destroys the school, and puts her own life at risk. A riveting page-turner, Deborah Ellis’s final novel in the series is at once harrowing, inspiring, and thought-provoking. Parvana is eventually reunited with her childhood friend, Shauzia. The paperback edition includes a new cover and map, and an author’s note to provide background and context. Royalties from the sale of this book will go to Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan. Parvana’s Fund supports education projects for Afghan women and children.