Words in the Dust

By: Trent Reedy

Narrated by: Ariana Delawari

Zulaikha hopes. She hopes for peace, now that the Taliban have been driven from Afghanistan; a good relationship with her hard stepmother; and one day even to go to school, or to have her cleft palate fixed. Zulaikha knows all will be provided for her "Inshallah," God willing. Then she meets Meena, who offers to teach her the Afghan poetry she taught her late mother. And the Americans come to her village, promising not just new opportunities and dangers, but surgery to fix her face. These changes could mean a whole new life for Zulaikhabut can she dare to hope they'll come true?

©2011 Trent Reedy (P)2011 Scholastic Audio

This is what America needs to hear

Well written and riveting, this story is true to life and left me desperately wishing for a sequel. The author has taken incredible time to research, both first-hand and otherwise, the likely realities of a young Afghan girl in the early 2000's. Stories are what connect us all, and for too many Americans, we view all Afghans as villans with guns. Reality is a far cry from that, and this book excellently humanizes the precious and persecuted Afghani people.