The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis
"Parvana knew she had to fetch the water because there was nobody else in the family who could do it. Sometimes this made her resentful. Sometimes it made her proud. One thing she knew - it didn't matter how she felt. Good mood or bad, the water had to be fetched, and she had to fetch it."
~from "The Breadwinner" by Deborah Ellis |
About the Author
"One of the things that drives me is to continue to find arguments that the things that we do to change the world actually do change the world. Sometimes the only evidence we have is the knowledge that if we don't do it, then nothing changes. So everything we do is an act of faith." ~Deborah Ellis
Deborah Ellis traveled to Afghanistan and Pakistan in 1997 to interview women in refugee camps; from these interviews she wrote the four part series which includesThe Breadwinner, a book about a girl named Parvana; Parvana's Journey, its sequel;Mud City, about a girl named Shauzia, Parvana's best friend; and an adult book,Women of the Afghan War. The Breadwinner was inspired by an interview with a mother in a refugee camp.
She was raised in Paris, Ontario and from the time she was 17 she has been a political activist, advocating non-violence. After high school she went to Toronto and worked in the Peace Movement. Later she got involved in the Women's Movement, focusing on women's rights and economic justice. Ellis is a mental health residential counselor in Ontario, Canada.
About Afghanistan
The Facts
Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan is the official name of the country.
Location: South central Asia.
Area: 250,000 sq mi (647,500 km2).
Population: 27,800,000 (estimate).
Capital and Largest City: Kabul.
Major Language(s): Pashto; Dari.
Major Religious Group(s): Muslim.
More from Scholastic.com
Recent History of Afghanistan
What is the Taliban?
"The word “Taliban” comes from Arabic word talib, which means “student.” ...Members of the Taliban were originally religious students who developed a very conservative interpretation of Islam and the Sharia, or Islamic law. During Afghanistan's long and bitter civil war, members of the Taliban began a slow rise to power, and the group ultimately took control of most of Afghanistan, promising to put a stop to infighting between various bands of mujahideen, or groups of soldiers led by warlords, to make Afghanistan a safer place.
Initially, the Taliban's rise to power was actually greeted with excitement by many Afghanis. The group asserted that it would restore Muslim values to Afghanistan, garnering support from many Muslim nations, and it pledged to put a stop to violence. However, the Taliban's regime quickly turned sour. The movement's extremely conservative interpretation of Muslim traditions and values came to be a major stumbling block for many Afghanis.
Under the Taliban, women's rights were severely restricted, and “modesty police” enforced strict rules about what women could wear, study, and do. Men were expected to grow traditional beards, and cultural expression in Afghanistan became virtually nonexistent. Afghanis were not allowed to play music, fly kites, clap at sports events, or to engage in a variety of other activities which are permitted in other Muslim nations. Unemploymentskyrocketed under the Taliban, adding greatly to social unrest."
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-taliban.htm. Retrieved 1/5/2010.
The Plight of Women in Afghanistan
Traditional Dress for Women in Afghanistan
"One of the things that drives me is to continue to find arguments that the things that we do to change the world actually do change the world. Sometimes the only evidence we have is the knowledge that if we don't do it, then nothing changes. So everything we do is an act of faith." ~Deborah Ellis
Deborah Ellis traveled to Afghanistan and Pakistan in 1997 to interview women in refugee camps; from these interviews she wrote the four part series which includesThe Breadwinner, a book about a girl named Parvana; Parvana's Journey, its sequel;Mud City, about a girl named Shauzia, Parvana's best friend; and an adult book,Women of the Afghan War. The Breadwinner was inspired by an interview with a mother in a refugee camp.
She was raised in Paris, Ontario and from the time she was 17 she has been a political activist, advocating non-violence. After high school she went to Toronto and worked in the Peace Movement. Later she got involved in the Women's Movement, focusing on women's rights and economic justice. Ellis is a mental health residential counselor in Ontario, Canada.
About Afghanistan
The Facts
Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan is the official name of the country.
Location: South central Asia.
Area: 250,000 sq mi (647,500 km2).
Population: 27,800,000 (estimate).
Capital and Largest City: Kabul.
Major Language(s): Pashto; Dari.
Major Religious Group(s): Muslim.
More from Scholastic.com
Recent History of Afghanistan
- Mid-1970's, Afghanistan was ruled by a moderate, anti-Soviet monarchy.
- 1978 government was overthrown in a military coup and then again by Communists.
- 1979 Soviets invaded.
- Then followed a decade of war that the Afghanis call the "War of Liberation". Between the years 1979 and 1992, more than a fifth of Afghanistan's population leaves the country searching for safety in Iran and Pakistan.
- Soviets retreated from Afghanistan in 1989.
- Civil war began for control of country.
- The Taliban appeared in November 1994 - interested in creating a radical Islamic government. The Taliban massacres thousands as it extends its reach to North.
- It was in 1996, as they captured Kabul, that much of the outside world first reacted in dismay to the Taliban's extreme Islamic policies, especially towards the place of women in society.
- Our story is set in Kabul in 2001.
What is the Taliban?
"The word “Taliban” comes from Arabic word talib, which means “student.” ...Members of the Taliban were originally religious students who developed a very conservative interpretation of Islam and the Sharia, or Islamic law. During Afghanistan's long and bitter civil war, members of the Taliban began a slow rise to power, and the group ultimately took control of most of Afghanistan, promising to put a stop to infighting between various bands of mujahideen, or groups of soldiers led by warlords, to make Afghanistan a safer place.
Initially, the Taliban's rise to power was actually greeted with excitement by many Afghanis. The group asserted that it would restore Muslim values to Afghanistan, garnering support from many Muslim nations, and it pledged to put a stop to violence. However, the Taliban's regime quickly turned sour. The movement's extremely conservative interpretation of Muslim traditions and values came to be a major stumbling block for many Afghanis.
Under the Taliban, women's rights were severely restricted, and “modesty police” enforced strict rules about what women could wear, study, and do. Men were expected to grow traditional beards, and cultural expression in Afghanistan became virtually nonexistent. Afghanis were not allowed to play music, fly kites, clap at sports events, or to engage in a variety of other activities which are permitted in other Muslim nations. Unemploymentskyrocketed under the Taliban, adding greatly to social unrest."
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-taliban.htm. Retrieved 1/5/2010.
The Plight of Women in Afghanistan
- Every 30 minutes, an Afghan woman dies during childbirth
- 87 percent of Afghan women are illiterate
- 30 percent of girls have access to education in Afghanistan
- 1 in every 3 Afghan women experience physical, psychological or sexual violence
- 44 years is the average life expectancy rate for women in Afghanistan
- 70 to 80 percent of women face forced marriages in Afghanistan
Traditional Dress for Women in Afghanistan
Study Guides
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Other Links and Images
How to Make Naan - This is a link to a website and video that I used to first learn how to make nan. I still follow along with Manjula, a wonderful Indian woman, whenever I make it. Her recipe is faultless. The only thing I sometimes do is add a bit more flour if our weather is humid. Otherwise, I make it exactly as Manjula tells me to make it. (Note that in our story, which is set in Afghanistan, it is spelled "nan".)
Scholastic: Kids in Afghanistan
Radio Free Afghanistan
Afghanistan Online
Good Afghan News
Pajhwok Afghanistan News
HilalPlaza.com
Afghanistan Photo Gallery
Islam and Clothing
Children and the Taliban News Story (PBS)
How to Make Naan - This is a link to a website and video that I used to first learn how to make nan. I still follow along with Manjula, a wonderful Indian woman, whenever I make it. Her recipe is faultless. The only thing I sometimes do is add a bit more flour if our weather is humid. Otherwise, I make it exactly as Manjula tells me to make it. (Note that in our story, which is set in Afghanistan, it is spelled "nan".)
Scholastic: Kids in Afghanistan
Radio Free Afghanistan
Afghanistan Online
Good Afghan News
Pajhwok Afghanistan News
HilalPlaza.com
Afghanistan Photo Gallery
Islam and Clothing
Children and the Taliban News Story (PBS)