Parvana’s Journey-Storyline and Review

As the title says, this story is about Parvana’s journey. It is the second book in the trilogy, the first being ‘The Breadwinner‘ and the third being Mud City.

The story continues from the first book. Parvana’s mother, sister Nooria, and brother, who left for Mazar-e-Sharif for Nooria’s wedding, don’t return. News flows in that the Taliban had attacked Mazar-e-Sharif. The father-daughter duo is distraught and starts their journey to search for the rest of their family. Anxious and eager, they tirelessly travel long distances on foot for days together, searching for their family. With hunger in their stomachs and little hope in their hearts, the chances of success are low. The stress takes a toll on the father’s health. It deteriorates with every passing day until one day, he passes away.

Now, Parvana is left alone in the world. She is afraid and lonely, but must move on. She gets temporary refuge with a family, but once she receives the news that she may soon be taken away by the Taliban, she decides to escape and venture out alone in search of her mother and siblings.

With this, Parvana starts a long, arduous journey searching for her loved ones. The Rocky Mountains, hills, valleys, and streams witness this young girl’s hardships. Despite the unavailability of basic necessities – food, water, and clothing- she never lets her hopes die and travels relentlessly. In her journey, she is joined by a one-legged boy, a young girl, and a baby, who, like her, have been victims of the war. The children decide to travel together. During the course, they face many difficulties like hunger, sickness, fatigue, thirst, the threat of attack, landmines, and many more. Such dire circumstances make the kids very resourceful, and they figure out ways and means of survival in a hostile environment until they finally reach the refugee camp.

This book is a reminder that people become what their circumstances make them. Onerous situations, like those faced by people in war-affected countries, can push people to extremes and sometimes bring out the best and worst in them.

This heart-touching book leaves the reader pondering the uncertainties in Parvana’s life and what will happen next. Will she ever be able to escape and find a better world for herself – one that she has always dreamed of?