The Breadwinner

By Deborah Ellis,

Book cover of The Breadwinner

Book description

Afghanistan: Parvana's father is arrested and taken away by Taliban soldiers. Under Taliban law, women and girls are not allowed to leave the house on their own.

Parvana, her mother, and sisters are prisoners in their own home. With no man to go out to buy food, they face starvation.…

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Why read it?

1 author picked The Breadwinner as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

From our comfortable perch in North America, it’s almost impossible to imagine how children—girls, especially—survive in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. The Breadwinner made it real to me, with all the oppression that the main character, eleven-year-old Parvana, experiences and all the courage she demonstrates. This book showed me the common humanity we share with people whose lives are so different from our own. And it forced me to ask myself: Could I have been as brave and resourceful as Parvana?

Want books like The Breadwinner?

Our community of 11,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Breadwinner.

Browse books like The Breadwinner

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in survival, women's rights, and gender roles?

Survival 195 books
Women's Rights 63 books
Gender Roles 118 books