Parvana
Parvana is set in Kabul, Afghanistan under the extreme Taliban. The Taliban banned women from going outside without a man and declare that all women must be covered up with a burqua. Deborah Ellis described that Afghanistan is a very brutal and terrifying place to live, in the books she also talks about how the Taliban control the women, for example on page 9: it says ‘The Taliban had ordered all the girls and women in Afghanistan to stay inside their homes. They even forbade girls to go to school’.
Parvana is 11 year old, her family of two sisters, a brother, mum and dad. The Taliban soldiers take over Afghanistan and its people. The women and girls are forced to live inside the house everyday, knowing that they could get bomb at any moment. Parvana is a very caring and kind girl. When Parvana father got arrested by the Taliban, Parvana took on the roll of ensuring the family would get water and food. In order for this to happen Parvana dressed up as a boy and take on the father’s roll of provider. She live in constant fear everyday, because someone but might find out but she still goes out and earns money for the family. On page 93 it says ‘Business had good days and bad days. Sometimes Parvana would sit for hours without a customer. She made less money than her father had, but the family was eating, even though most days they ate just Nan and tea’.
In the novel, Parvana, it has been suggested that there are a number of themes; however the main theme is courage. Having to change into a boy to gain access to the outside world is a sure sign of courage, one of the major issues of the novel. With this courage, come various forms of rebellion against the Taliban. She is very courageous because of her determination and boldness that Parvana is able to deal with the challenges she faces.