Contains three novels that look at conditions in Afghanistan under the control of the Taliban through the experiences of Parvana and Shauzia, two young girls who must disguise themselves as boys in order to be able to move about freely and help their families and the people of their country.
Diego Juarez finds sanctuary with the Ricardo family after escaping an illegal cocaine operation, but his safe haven is destroyed when the army destroys the family's crop and livelihood and Diego joins a protest of the government's actions, which leads to a dramatic standoff.
In 1988, the deeply conservative and religious government controls every facet of life in Iran. Fifteen-year-old Farrin falls in love with her friend Sadira, but it is against the law to be a homosexual in Iran, punishable by death. Despite their efforts to keep their relationship secret, the girls are discovered and arrested.
Because the Taliban rulers of Kabul, Afghanistan, impose strict limitations on women's freedom and behavior, eleven-year-old Parvana must disguise herself as a boy so that her family can survive after her father's arrest.
After her father's death, Parvana, now thirteen-years-old, continues to search for her mother in war-torn Afghanistan, joining with two younger children who are also struggling to survive.
The author turns her attention to the most tragic victims of the Iraq war- Iraqi children.the stories in this book are frank, harrowing and sometimes show surprising resilience, as these children try to survive the consequences of a war in which they played no part.
After learning that her family adopted her, Valli runs away from home to live on the streets of Kolkata, India, where she begs, steals, and resists help from a doctor who reveals that Valli has leprosy.
