Parvana's Journey by Deborah Ellis

This is the second book in the Breadwinner trilogy.  I didn't think Parvana's journey could get more powerful, but indeed it did.  OMG I am blown away by the amazing, yet heartbreaking story that is Parvana's and her new family. 
Parvana's Journey deals a lot about death and what happens when you are faced with death.  In this blog entry I am going to focus on theme and the important of theme.
According to Brain Moon theme is "the central idea or ideas explored in a literary work" (1999, p.166).  In Parvana's Journey, one of the many themes is death. Moon gives a modern day description of theme which is "In modern usage, then, theme refers to the major issues or subjects which become prominent in the reading of the text" (1999, p.166).  The story starts out with Parvana's finding and loosing her father.  She is left alone in a world that is being torn apart by war and bombs.  Parvana decides to keep searching for her family.  During her search she reaches a bombed out town where she finds a baby who's mother has been killed.   Again Parvana is faced with letting this baby starve to death or taking on the added responsibility of a child.  As the story and Parvana's journey moves forth, Parvana is the adult and has to make life-or-death decisions everyday.  That is alot of a 11-12 year old girl to handle.  I am not sure if I could handle that. 
Death at first is something Parvana has a hard time dealing with.  Now, the first death is that of her father and I am sure none of us would handle that well.  But Parvana does not have time to mourn like we would.  She has to keep going.  She has to protect herself from villagers who tried to help her.  She has to protect herself, and that does not leave a lot of time for mourning. 
Next she is faced with a baby and the death around her.  Is it right to steal from the dead?  Parvana finds herself in many moral problems.  She has to make another choice between life-or-death?
By the end of the text, Parvana has seen and heard more death then any child should ever see.  Parvana has experienced death by war and by disease.  She has seen how war will turn people crazy and will do just about anything to protect themselves or their family.  It seems like at the end of this novel, Parvana is so use to death it doesn't effect her any longer.  This is a sad truth of what war does to children, it makes them grow up way too fast  :(

From 2001, an Afghan girl in a Refugee Camp...

I am really excited to read the last book Mud City over break (or at least this is my goal!)  I am very worried about Parvana and her family.  I am glad that she has been reunited, but I am worried about everyone's well being.  Having an idea of history, these camps are filled with disease, riots, and dangers I am very worried about Parvana and her family. 
One part of Parvana's Journey and the Breadwinner has made me think or a call to action and maybe Dr. Jones can help me with this----what about the refugees here in Rochester?  Parvana's Journey speaks to the plight that these people have had to go through.  Leaving their homes and lives behind in order to find some kind of peace.  I think that these books have really sparking a compassionate side to myself and I think I would like to get involve in something this summer that deals with refugees.