FOREWORD It’s been thirty-six years since the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan It’s been twenty-six years since their departure marked the start of the bloody civil war It’s been nineteen years since the capture of Kabul by the Taliban army and fourteen years since that terrible day in September that unleashed events leading to the Taliban’s removal from power That’s an awful lot of war for a country that’s barely the size of Texas My involvement with Afghanistan began when the news of the crimes of the Taliban hit the Toronto newspapers back in 1996 Since then I have been trying to understand what war does to people War is made by people living in safety who make the decision to take risks with the lives of others whose opinions on the matter are not even solicited War is made
by those who profit from the manufacturing of weaponry War is made by people who are too lazy to put the creative work and compassion into coming up with a solution to their problems that does not involve murder I’ve seen the way bombs and bullets shatter human bodies and devastate families I’ve learned what happens when the destruction of infrastructure leads to bad water food shortages and the lack of medical care And I’ve learned from refugees about how their lives have been derailed and reduced to Waiting for food for shelter for documents for peace Through all the tales of crime and chaos there have been heroes giants of courage who in big ways and small put human decency above all else I’ve met teachers around the world who carve out little niches of safety and childhood for kids in need I’ve met librarians who remind us that human beings are capable of creating things noble and sublime I’ve met builders and farmers health workers and home workers who go through incredible difficulties just to make the next day the next hour a little bit better for those around them I’ve met parents of dead children who take in children of dead parents raising them with love and care And I’ve met children who cast aside the hatreds of the
older generation and work toward building a world of radical kindness and beauty In today’s warfare ninety-five percent of the casualties are civilians This means that when we give our governments permission to go to war we are giving them permission to kill people who are just like us who complain about the weather love their children and wonder what to have for dinner People who have done us no harm Books can help us remember what we have in common as humans That’s what I try to do with mine In this fifteenth anniversary edition of The Breadwinner I would like to thank all the readers who have embraced Parvana and her companions who have followed her journey with compassion as though she were a close friend I thank all the teachers librarians and parents who have introduced the book to the readers in their care And I thank most deeply the people of Afghanistan They deserve like we all deserve to live in peace forever Deborah Ellis 2015
KAZAKHSTAN UZBE TURKMENISTAN KYRGYZSTAN CHINA TAJIKISTAN WAKHAN CORRIDOR Mazar e Sharif Kunduz Jammu Kashmir Kabul Jalalabad NIS TAN IRAN o Kandahar REGISTAN DESERT A KIS TAN as a Gulf of Oman IN ND OMAN AFGHANISTAN Europe North America Atika South Australia Antarctica
