Parvana's best friend, Shauzia, has escaped the misery of her life in Kabul, only to end up in a refugee camp in Pakistan. She still dreams of seeing the ocean and eventually making a new life in France, but it's hard to imagine when she is living in the Widows' Compound of a muddy, crowded refugee camp outside Peshawar. Shauzia finally decides to leave the camp and try her luck on the streets. Peshawar is dangerous and full of desperately poor and wandering children like herself, but she has Jasper, the dog who followed her down from a shepherds' camp in the mountains, and she knows how to masquerade as a boy and comb the streets for jobs. But life as a street kid is dangerous and terrifying, even with the advantages of a strong will, brave spirit, and good luck. This is a powerful and human story of a feisty, driven girl who tries to take control of her own life. The reissue includes a new cover and map, and an updated author's note and glossary to provide young readers with background and context. Royalties from the sale of this book go to Street Kids International.
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Deborah Ellis was raised in a small town called Paris in southern Ontario. She finished high school there, then lived for a while in Ottawa and Toronto. A long-time feminist and anti-war activist, her hobbies include riding her bike, poking around in the woods, and exploring new places and ideas.