Author(s): Deborah Ellis

Realistic | NZ Listener 50 Best 2022 | Refugees

From the master storyteller of the bestselling Parvana books comes a timely new novel set in contemporary Afghanistan, featuring Parvana and Shauzia continuing their mission to protect women and girls from their dire reality under the rules re-imposed by the Taliban.

In Kabul, 15-year-old Damsa runs away to avoid being forced into marriage by her family. She is helped by Shauzia who takes her to her friend Parvana's Green Valley school.

It has been twenty years since Parvana and Shauzia had to disguise themselves as boys to support their families. And when the Taliban were defeated in 2001, they began to rebuild their lives. But everything changed in 2021 when the Taliban rose to power again and the restrictions they imposed had a devastating impact on women and girls and their hard-won freedoms. With little warning, Kabul airport is shut down and danger is everywhere. And when the Taliban come to Green Valley, Parvana sends Shauzia and Damsa and the other members of her little community away in search of safety, and must endure more devastation as Afghanistan is once again under siege.

A hauntingly compelling story of courage, heartbreak and resilience.