Zulaikha hopes. She hopes for peace, now that the Taliban have been driven out of Afghanistan. She hopes for a better relationship with her hard stepmother. And she hopes one day even to go to school. Then she meets Meena, who offers to teach her the poetry she once taught her mother. And the Americans come to the village, promising not just new opportunities, but surgery to mend Zulaikha's face. But can Zulaikha dare to hope they will come true? Trent Reedy's breathtaking first novel is based on his experiences serving with the US Army in Afghanistan and, in a land where hidebound traditions clash with an emerging desire for freedom, offers humanity and hope.

 

There are 352 pages in this book. This book was published 2011 by Frances Lincoln Publishers Ltd .

Trent Reedy grew up in Iowa and has always loved telling stories. He majored in English at the University of Iowa and paid for his course by joining the Iowa Army National Guard. Called up to serve in Afghanistan in 2004, he experienced bad feelings both about the war and leaving his wife and home. Then, after reading Katherine Paterson's novel Bridge to Terabithia he started thinking about writing for young people. One of the children he encountered in Afghanistan was a young girl named Zulaikha, who had suffered since birth from a cleft lip. A U. S. army doctor gave her corrective surgery, and Trent was inspired by Zulaikha's quiet courage and dignity. The last time he saw her, he promised that he would tell her story. Returning to Iowa in 2005, he taught English before taking a Master of Fine Arts degree in writing for children and young adults at Vermont College of Fine Arts. He now lives with his wife and dog Wiggles in Washington State, where he is hard at work on his second book.