At the end of the Breadwinner trilogy set in war-torn Afghanistan, Parvana had been reunited with her mother and sisters in a camp for internal refugees. In this new instalment of her story, she works on a project with her family and the little band of orphans she had befriended during her years of wanderings - to transform a ruined building into a school which is meant to be a beacon of hope for the surrounding community. A rollercoaster of a read, moving and insightful, the novel is told in flashbacks from Parvana's present predicament as a prisoner of the American army. She is in double danger - both from the misconceptions of foreign soldiers who suspect her of being a terrorist and from the murderous opposition to the education of girls by elements of Afghan society. Parvana is an inspiring and very likeable character and for all the harrowing events and perilous times she must live through there are moments of black humour, too.