A rough and tumble tomboy, twelve-year-old Ariana couldn't be more different from her cousin Laila, who just arrived from Afghanistan with her family. Laila is a proper, ladylike Afghan girl, one who can cook, sew, sing, and who is well versed in Pukhtun culture and manners. Arianna hates her. Laila not only invades Ariana's bedroom in their cramped Fremont townhouse, but she also becomes close with Mariam Nurzai, Ariana's best friend.

Then a rival Afghan grocery store opens near Ariana's family store, reigniting a decades-old feud tracing back to Afghanistan. The cousins, Mariam, and their newfound frenemie, Waleed Ghilzai, must ban together to help the families find a lasting peace before it destroys both businesses and everything their parents have worked for.

This book was recognised by the Edgar Allen Poe Award. The Edgars are presented annually by the members of the Mystery Writers of America to distinguished fiction and non-fiction works about crime, mystery and detection primarily by American authors.

This book is part of a book series called Kabul Chronicles .

This book has been graded for interest at 8-12 years.

There are 288 pages in this book. This is a picture book. A picture book uses pictures and text to tell the story. The number of words varies from zero ('wordless') to around 1k over 32 pages. Picture books are typically aimed at young readers (age 3-6) but can also be aimed at older children (7+). This book was published 2014 by Simon & Schuster .

N. H. Senzai is the author of Shooting Kabul, which was critically acclaimed and on numerous award lists. Publishers Weekly called it "hard hitting, emotionally wrenching. " Her second book, Saving Kabul Corner, was nominated for an Edgar Award. She is also the author of Ticket to India and Escape from Aleppo. Ms. Senzai lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family. Visit her online at NHSenzai. com.