Parvana's Journey

Along Parvana’s journey, she mostly meets children, and the few adults she does meet seem more helpless than the children. Why does Ellis focus on children throughout the novel? How does her depiction of children and adults show how the war affects children in a different way than adults?

When her load of supplies gets heavy to carry, Parvana buries some of her father’s books. Later, the children chew on a few pages from a book. How do these events surrounding books contribute to the novel’s education motif? What point is Ellis making about education during war?

What aspects of Afghan culture does Ellis incorporate into the novel? Consider Ellis’s intended audience. How is her inclusion of cultural details important for the reader?

Contrast what you know about Parvana’s life before her hometown of Kabul was bombed with her life now. In light of how much her life has changed, explain her ongoing struggle to stay true to her morals, stay hopeful, and feel like herself.

How do Parvana’s letters to Shauzia function in the novel?

Why is Parvana’s disguise as a boy significant? What are some examples of how Ellis explains the position of women in Afghanistan? How does the portrayal of women contribute to the novel’s meaning and message?

Parvana continues journeying in an attempt to find her mother and siblings, yet along the way she finds a sense of family with Asif, Leila, and Hassan. What is Ellis saying about family through the novel? How does her message about family relate to the book’s wartime setting?

Why does Parvana take the time and energy to clean places that are only a temporary shelter, such as the house in the abandoned village and the cave? What does her habit of cleaning symbolize in the novel?