Words in the Dust

Reedy, T. (2011). Words in the dust. New York: Arthur A. Levine. Life in Afghanistan isn't very easy for thirteen-year-old Zulaikha. Born with a cleft palate which she constantly tries to cover with her scarf, the other youngsters tease her constantly, comparing her face to that of a burro. Her home life isn't all that much better since the deformity makes it hard for her to eat without making a mess.  In Cinderella fashion, she spends her days running errands and doing household chores for her father's new wife. When she has a free moment, she and her older sister Zeynab dream of their future lives when both of them will have husbands and they can raise their own children together. Additionally, Zulaikha misses her mother who was killed by the Taliban because she was educated and read books. Her family is tradtional, and in some respects, she is trapped by its confines as well as by her own fears. One day, as she races through the streets to avoid yet another round of bullying, she encounters a woman willing to teach her how to read and write and how to understand poetry. She also comes to the attention of the American soldiers stationed in the area. Eventually, they arrange for her to be flown to a hospital where a simple surgery corrects her deformity. Hope blossoms in Zulaikha's heart, and she dares to dream of more than her simple day to day existence serving others. When the possibility of higher education is broached initially, her father will have none of it. It takes a family tragedy to change his mind so that the possibilities the world has to offer open up to this sweet-natured but determined young woman.