Words in the Dust

Jul 18, 2012 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: grades 6-8

Recommended to Sarah by: author breakfast

Shelves: children-realistic, children-multicultural

Sweet and caring Zulaikah is the second-oldest girl in her large family. They live in a small village in Afghanistan—a country that places a lot of importance on marriage prospects for their children. For Zulaikah, this reality is hard to take because she has a cleft palate, which makes her less desirable for a match in marriage. After watching her sister get married to an older wealthy man, Zulaikah wonders what her life will become other than helping to raise her younger siblings and doing cho...more

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Mar 05, 2012 Yearning To Read rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, children-s, fiction, nonfiction, young-adult, arc, own, 2011-read, reviewed, 11-and-up, won

I won this ARC copy of Words in the Dust from the Goodreads Firstreads giveaway program.

Zulaikha lives in modern Afghanistan, when the Taliban have been brought down and the Americans are still making progress in her country. She lives with her Baba (father), her Madar (mother…but not her birth mother), brothers and sister. Her father and older brother are welders and work hard to provide for the family. Zulaikha would live a very normal life…except for one thing. Her mouth. Her ugly, cleft lip,...more I won this ARC copy of Words in the Dust from the Goodreads Firstreads giveaway program.

Zulaikha lives in modern Afghanistan, when the Taliban have been brought down and the Americans are still making progress in her country. She lives with her Baba (father), her Madar (mother…but not her birth mother), brothers and sister. Her father and older brother are welders and work hard to provide for the family. Zulaikha would live a very normal life…except for one thing. Her mouth. Her ugly, cleft lip, her twisted teeth, and her disfigured nose. But then the Americans show up, offering a free surgery to fix Zulaikha’s mouth. And her sister, Zeynab, might be married to a man of wealth and prestige. Could Zulaikha get the happy ending she and Zeynab had always dreamed about since their Madar-jan died?

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I fell in love with this book from the opening words. Literally. ”I traced the letters in the dust with my finger, spelling out my name: Zulaikha“

But after that, the story blossoms into a whole world, the world of life in Afghanistan in the aftermath of a war, the world of an every-day-life Afghanistan family. The culture in this is so rich, the characters so well-developed, that you cannot help but believe that it is real.

This is Trent Reedy’s first novel, and he did a most excellent job. Telling from Zulaikha’s perspective could have been hard, but Reedy was talented enough to pull it off with incredibly smooth writing, characters that grow, a setting that is so different, and hardships that almost everyone can relate to.

Favorite character: It’s a tie between the sisters, Zulaikha and Zeynab. I loved Meena for her part in Zulaikha’s life; and even though I hated her guts, I thought the girls step-mother had a very important role.

Favorite aspects: The way Zulaikha interacts with her family…she is truly an amazing girl. And the way the reader watches Zulaikha grow is just beautiful… I honestly felt like I was growing with her, every step of the way. The poems were so beautiful and so was the way Zulaikha related to the characters in the poems.

One word to sum this book up: I would have to say a few words: sweet, heartbreaking, and lovely. Trent Reedy really has pulled off something amazing here and I can’t wait to see whose story he tells next! (This story was based off a girl named Zulaikha who the writer met while serving in Afghanistan who had a cleft lip. The Americans fixed it and he swore to her that he would tell her story… If that isn’t a touching story, I don’t know what is.)

Recommended to ages 12 and up.

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Aug 24, 2011 DubaiReader rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, young-adult, vine

An excellent Young Adult book on the subject of Afghanistan.

I really enjoyed this book, even though I'm far from a Young Adult! It was tastefully written and the fact that the author was a soldier there made me feel gratified that people with such humanity are fighting the Afghan cause.

Zulaikha is a young Afghani girl, marked for life with a hair-lip and crooked teeth that earn her the cruel name of 'Donkeyface'.
She lives with her older sister, Zeynab, her 19 year old brother, Najib, and two you...more

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Mar 01, 2011 Jami rated it 5 of 5 stars

I received this book through Goodreads. Words in the Dust is the story of a young Afghani girl, Zulaika, with a cleft lip and palate. The story explores her daily life in Afghanistan and the changes brought by the arrival of American soldiers. Zulaika lives in a modest dirt home with her father, stepmother, her older brother and sister (Zeynab), and her two younger brothers. Her mother had been killed years before. Initially, Zulaika's life consists of chores, as school is not even a considerati...more I received this book through Goodreads. Words in the Dust is the story of a young Afghani girl, Zulaika, with a cleft lip and palate. The story explores her daily life in Afghanistan and the changes brought by the arrival of American soldiers. Zulaika lives in a modest dirt home with her father, stepmother, her older brother and sister (Zeynab), and her two younger brothers. Her mother had been killed years before. Initially, Zulaika's life consists of chores, as school is not even a consideration for most people and certainly not for girls. Her stepmother gives her the daily task of going to the bazaar to purchase the family's supplies, a task Zulaika deplores because people stare at her condition. She also fears seeing two bullies who threaten her and taunt her with names. On one of these visits, Zulaika meets Meena, a former teacher and a friend of her mother, who teaches Zulaika to read a write. During her secret meetings with Meena, Zulaika develops self-confidence and strengthens her connection with her mother, who had such a great passion for poetry that she named Zulaika after a character in one of her favorite poems. When the American soldiers come to town, a soldier happens to see Zulaika, which starts her on a journey to get her mouth fixed, an answer to her prayers. At the same time, the Americans bring opportunities for her father and brother's business as welders and the opportunity for her sister Zeynab to marry a successful Afgani, many years her senior, which seems to be an answer to her sister's prayers. The novel gives great insight into Afghani culture and tradition and the Muslim religion. Yet, it also demonstrates the universality of certain issues - self-esteem, bullying, stepparents. Zulaika is a wonderful, sympathetic face for the true innocents in the Afghanistan conflict.

The author shows the conflcit of tradition, fear of the reemergence of the Taliban, resentment of the Americans, as well as opportunities from the Americans. Having been a soldier himself stationed in Afghanistan, the author's descriptions are very realistic. He also does not hold back criticism of Americans who are ignorant of local customs (such as acknowledging men first) and the hard feelings such simple missteps can create. I am amazed that an American man could create a teenage, female Afghani girl whose voice is completely authentic. This book would be a wonderful teaching tool to humanize the conflict and to encorage tolerance and cross-cultural respect. I highly recommend this as a selection for adults, as well as young adults. AI found myself racing back to the book to find out what happened next. This is a truly engrossing and fabulous read.(less)

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Feb 20, 2011 Kristi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

I won this book through GoodReads! Having the privilege of a first read was lots of fun! I really enjoyed this novel! The story follows the life of a young Afghan girl, Zulaikha, who, born with a cleft lip, struggles with her own self image as she comes of age. In a country previous wrought by the restrictions of the Taliban, Afghanistan is in a time of change under the presence of the American soldiers. Zulaikha comes into direct contact with American soldiers as they help her fix her cleft lip...more I won this book through GoodReads! Having the privilege of a first read was lots of fun! I really enjoyed this novel! The story follows the life of a young Afghan girl, Zulaikha, who, born with a cleft lip, struggles with her own self image as she comes of age. In a country previous wrought by the restrictions of the Taliban, Afghanistan is in a time of change under the presence of the American soldiers. Zulaikha comes into direct contact with American soldiers as they help her fix her cleft lip and provide her father with profitable employment. There is a glimpse of the marriage process in the book as her sister marries young, leaving her starving for companionship. She finally begins to learn to read and write from her mom's friend Meena and desires to go to school to learn more.

This book is a wonderful blend of story and culture. The different cultural aspects were what really intrigued me in this book. While many of the Afghan words stopped me in the beginning (even with the wonderful glossary, it was hard to get into immediately), it was fascinating to see Afghanistan's perspective on American presence. What is even cooler about this book is that the perspective comes from a young girl in a culture that rarely lets women speak or think freely. The encounters with the Americans really highlight the contrast in cultures, as Zulaikha does not understand a handshake or soldiers speaking to her rather than her father. While heartbreaking, I also enjoyed following the parallel tale of her sister as she finds herself in the married state. I could not imagine marrying someone whom I did not see until the actual wedding day!

This novel is incredibly powerful and is a great tool for any middle school classroom. The cultural and political aspects are present and relevant. Beyond that, the themes of identity, personal growth, and independence can all lead to an enriching literary discussion. This novel really makes the reader more understanding of and sympathetic to the citizens of Afghanistan's situation. There is so much hatred directed towards Afghanistan that is based on false misconception and stereotypes. I believe this novel can be used to help eradicate and prevent these assumptions from forming, especially when starting at a young age. (less)

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Feb 28, 2011 Sara rated it 4 of 5 stars

“HEEEEE-HAAAAAW!…Donkeyface!”
For Zulaikha, a 13 year-old Afghan girl with a severe cleft lip whose front teeth stuck straight out from her mouth, the torment came on a regular basis. In her society, women are expected to marry, but who will ever want her? Even her little brother makes fun of her. She yearns to learn to read and write like her mother, killed by the Taliban because she dared to read, but that too seems to be out of her reach.
“Words in the Dust,” (Arthur A. Levine Books, 2011) the...more

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Feb 26, 2011 Daisy rated it 4 of 5 stars

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. I enjoy reading books of the YA genre, and this was no exception. The book is recommended for children ages 9 - 13.

This is the story of a thirteen year-old Afghan girl. Zulaikha was born with a cleft lip, and this book chronicles the challenges of living with her impairment, her surgery performed by the Americans, and some of her experiences that follow.

I found the relationships in the book particularly interesting. In her daily praye...more

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Feb 22, 2012 Chantelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Oh, I loved this. 4.5 stars from me.

What a beautiful story. I fell in love with the heroine. I love the author who was compelled to tell her story.

Breadwinner, by Deborah Ellis, has always been my favorite Afghan/Taliban/child-coming-of-age story to share with my students, but this just became my new favorite.

Read it.

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Mar 10, 2011 Jeanine rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone

Recommended to Jeanine by: I won it here at Goodreads

Shelves: first-reads

Words in the Dust by Trent Reedy.

This is of the YA genre but I still enjoyed reading it.

DONKEY FACE! Donkey Face! Can you imagine hearing that chant every time your mother sent you to the market? Neither can I but Zulaikha lived with it. Always pulling her chador tighter across her mouth.

Zulaikha is a young Afghani girl with a cleft palate. Zulaikha's life is not easy. Her brother and others make fun of her. The Taliban while no longer in power has violently taken her mother from her and she li...more

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Apr 21, 2011 Mike Mullin rated it 5 of 5 stars

I count this among the finest first novels I've yet read. I was most impressed by the tremendous empathy, Trent Reedy, a U.S. soldier, was able to find for his main character, Zulaikha, a young Afghan girl. He wrote so deeply in her perspective that if I were told that the book was written by Zulaikha, I'd completely believe it.

Part of what makes the writing so outstanding and believable is the level of detail Words in the Dust incorporates. Reedy has obviously spend countless hours researching...more

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Mar 21, 2011 Mary rated it 4 of 5 stars

I won a free copy of this book from Goodreads first reads.

This Young Adult novel provides a captivating look into the life of a fictional girl with a cleft palate living in Afghanistan. The main character, Zulaikha, was very believable and easy to love and cheer for. In fact, most of the characters in the novel felt very fleshed out and real.
The author introduced many aspects of life in Afghanistan in a natural way. I feel like I learned much about the culture there, with many cultural traditio...more

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Mar 14, 2011 Ellie Revert rated it 5 of 5 stars

The author is a National Guardsman who served in Afghanistan in 2004, not killing bad guys, but working to improve life for the good Afghans. He tells a story about a girl that moves my heart. She was born with a cleft palate, and the US soldiers wanted to help her, and they did. Lots to learn about their culture, and he does it in a beautiful way. There are some very tough parts in that, of course. I would love to convince my SYC Book Club to select it for next season. Be SURE to read the autho...more

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Mar 14, 2012 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, young-adult, afghanistan

**Please note, this book was obtained as a free Advanced Reader's Copy. Obtained through the Goodreads First Reads program***

Words in the Dust was a very interesting story. It wasn't the easiest of reads, due to its subject matter, but there was a lot of detail put into this novel. Trent Reedy, the author, actually intended this book for children, but I think adults could take something from it as well.

Zulaikha is a young girl growing up after the end of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. She's...more **Please note, this book was obtained as a free Advanced Reader's Copy. Obtained through the Goodreads First Reads program***

Words in the Dust was a very interesting story. It wasn't the easiest of reads, due to its subject matter, but there was a lot of detail put into this novel. Trent Reedy, the author, actually intended this book for children, but I think adults could take something from it as well.

Zulaikha is a young girl growing up after the end of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. She's not like other girls in her area however. Sure she wears the same clothes, eats the same food, and helps in her family's home like any other girl, but she is disfigured and this causes her great torment among the other kids and sometimes even her own family. Born with a cleft lip she has been raised mostly be her father's second wife after her mother was killed by the Taliban for having books. She has several brothers and one older sister who she adores. It is during this time that her sister is betrothed to marriage and everything starts happening quickly. Americans arrive in her town and they discover her and want to help her with surgery that will repair her lip. She also meets an old friend of her mother's who begins to teach her to read and write in secret and offers her a chance at school. Several set backs happen though and it seems as though Zulaikha will not find happiness easily nor have her lip fixed easily as well.

As the characters are somewhat based on real people (according to the author's notes) they don't actually have a lot of depth to them. We see them all through Zulaikha's eyes but still don't get an overall sense of them. This is especially noticeable when Malehkah, her father's second wife, completely changes personality at the end of the novel. One could argue that it was Zulaikha growing and seeing her different, but that is not easily readable from the book, especially since its geared towards children. Her father is an enigma and I wasn't sure what to think about him. Zulaikha herself we get to experience a whole range of emotions with but I never felt truly connected to her as a character.

The writing is well enough done. It is in the first person from Zulaikha's view so everything we experience is through her eyes and her thoughts. And she is very conflicting at times with what she feels towards certain people. I think the author did a good job of removing himself from being an American soldier to seeing the world through an Afghani girls eyes. The only flaw I would really find with the writing is that it seemed rushed. There were a lot of things that happened and to me, it didn't cohesively come together and made the story a bit choppy with the different things that were happening. I think that might be why I had such a hard time finding empathy with this book; all the right emotions were there, they just weren't expressed fully. Another note would be, that while this was geared for kids, there is some hard stuff for them in here including violence and just the culture itself might be hard for a child to understand. Please don't think I'm saying they shouldn't read the book, but rather that a parent should be there to answer any questions that may come up in the reading.

I did enjoy the book and think that its a well done piece of fiction. It seems mostly believable and gives reader's a different view of what has gone on in Afghanistan aside from all the horrible things shown about its people on the news.

Words in the Dust
Copyright 2011
268 pages + glossary and pronunciation guide

Review by M. Reynard 2011(less)

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Mar 25, 2011 Melanie Coombes rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

Words in the Dust is the story of a young girl in Afghanistan who was born with a disfiguring cleft palate. Zulaikha's life is not easy. She is teased by the local village boys due to her appearance and dreams of looking normal like her pretty, older sister. She struggles to come to terms with her path in life. One day she meets an older woman, who begins to teach her to read and write and dream about a brighter future. When some American soldiers spot Zalaikha in the bazaar and say they can fix...more

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Dec 24, 2011 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: juv

I think this book deserves some Newbery recognition. The author portrays the culture and viewpoints sensitively. It could have gotten political or slanted in being pro or anti American, but instead it just feels like a realistic glimpse into the struggles and life of the people in Afghanistan. The characters are very well-developed, with the protagonist Zulaika not dominated by one personality trait but rather animated by complexity in her reactions, emotions, and way of thinking. The amount of...more

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Apr 17, 2013 Krista rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: caudill-2014

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 02, 2013 Marcy rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a wonderful, yet painful story, a Middle School story, and as an adult, I loved it as well! Readers learn how Afghanistan, with the Taliban in charge, took away the dignity of families and women's rights in the name of Islam. Baba was married to two women. Baba's first wife, a lover of literature and poetry, was shot and killed by the Taliban for owning two books. Words could only be written in the dust, seeping into every crack and cranny of the Afghan homes by the environment's harsh d...more

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Dec 04, 2012 Ed added it

Reedy, Trent. (2011). Words in the Dust. New York: Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine Books. 272 pp. ISBN 978-0-545-26125-8 (Hard Cover); $17.99.*

Purchase this book for middle school and high school libraries and your school library will have a book that will take readers into Afghanistan and give them a taste of Afghanistan culture and the intersection of this culture with the United States military (National Guard). The author’s note, reading lists, and glossary are almost enough by themselves to rec...more

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Jul 13, 2012 Lisa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: multicultural, tag-2012-13, ya-2011, young-adult

Zulaikha is a young Afghani girl born with a cleft palate. Her disfigurement is shameful and ugly to her. She is teased and taunted by the local bullies and scorned by her stepmother. She has a bleak future unlike her beautiful sister. When an American soldier sees Zulaikha on the street, events are set in motion that will change her life irrevocably.

It should be noted that this was written by a former American soldier based on his experiences during a tour of duty focused on peacekeeping and r...more

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Mar 15, 2012 CH13_Meghan Schultz rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-eastern-shelf

Words in the Dust is a very interesting story, one that I would highly recommend for middle school-aged students. The story of Zulaikha, a girl living in the post-Taliban Afghanistan, is portrayed as a fascinating discovery process. One that details Zulaikha’s journey as she learns to renew her relationship with her stepmother, live as a young woman with a cleft palate in Afghanistan, and hope for an opportunistic future. This story shows readers an inside view of a country several hear about ye...more

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Mar 06, 2012 IndyPL Kids Book Blog rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: kid-life

Zulaikha lives in Afghanistan with her father, her step-mother and her brothers and sisters. She is one of the oldest children so she has a lot of jobs, like going to the market for food and helping take care of the babies. She doesn’t go to school although her mother taught her a few words before she died.

Zulaikha lives in a country at war in a culture that I don’t know very much about. I really liked reading her story because I felt like I was getting a look at a real person from Afghanistan,...more Zulaikha lives in Afghanistan with her father, her step-mother and her brothers and sisters. She is one of the oldest children so she has a lot of jobs, like going to the market for food and helping take care of the babies. She doesn’t go to school although her mother taught her a few words before she died.

Zulaikha lives in a country at war in a culture that I don’t know very much about. I really liked reading her story because I felt like I was getting a look at a real person from Afghanistan, not a stereotype or a “made for TV” person. The author of this book is an American soldier who was stationed in an Afghan village helping build a school. He based Zulaikha on a real girl he met while he lived there.

I liked how this book didn’t give me what I expected. For example, at one point Zulaikha’s Dad is talking about how the Americans are coming to build a school. He knows that the village girls have never gone to school and that the idea is a very American one. He says, ”School for boys. School for girls. School for goats. Who cares as long as they pay?” (page 16) The fact that he supports the building of the school doesn’t really tell you whether or not he thinks girls should go to school - it just tells you he needs paid to build something so his family can eat. That seems very truthful to me. In fact, Zulaikha’s Dad is one of my favorite characters in the book. That doesn’t mean everything he did was likable…it means I liked him as a character because he seemed authentic.

You will cry sometimes while you read this book. Very sad things happen to Zulaikha and the people in her family. Sometimes you will think, “No! no! Don’t do that!” or “How could a Dad let that happen? or “How could a person be so cruel?” But then you remember that you are reading about a girl that lives in the middle of a war in a different country in a culture alot different from our own. How would you know what you would think or how you would act unless you lived there too? I liked thinking about that after I was done with the book, and I think you will too.

Sometimes good things happen, things that make you feel really good about how people can persevere even in very terrible circumstances. There is one character in particular who seemed heartless; a charcter I didn’t like at all, who turned out to be sacrificing her own dreams to secretly help Zulaikha. I ended up really, really liking this character. I especially liked watching how she and Zulaikha grew together after realizing they could work together for the same goal. Sometimes when you read a book friendships can be really predictable; this one took me by surprise and I liked that. By: Trent Reedy

For more: http://www.imcpl.org/kids/blog/?p=11051 (less)

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Feb 13, 2012 Barb Middleton rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: realistic

Zulaikha’s teeth protrude from a cleft in her upper lip that make her a target of abuse and teasing by bullies, relatives, and adults. Life is tough and with her deformity, she has no hope for a future as a girl growing up in Afghanistan. Her sister Zeynab is beautiful and Zulaikha dreams with her about marriage and the happiness that will come with it. This is what most girls dream of in Afghanistan. When an American soldier sees Zulaikha as his tanks roll into town, Zulaikha is offered the cha...more Zulaikha’s teeth protrude from a cleft in her upper lip that make her a target of abuse and teasing by bullies, relatives, and adults. Life is tough and with her deformity, she has no hope for a future as a girl growing up in Afghanistan. Her sister Zeynab is beautiful and Zulaikha dreams with her about marriage and the happiness that will come with it. This is what most girls dream of in Afghanistan. When an American soldier sees Zulaikha as his tanks roll into town, Zulaikha is offered the chance to have her face repaired at a base hospital for free. She also meets a woman who teaches her to read. Girls do not go to school and cannot read, but this woman plants the seed of Zulaikha getting an education. Will Zulaikha risk going to school? As her life changes, she discovers that happiness is more than being beautiful and getting married.

What a surprising gem of a story. The plot is complex and multilayered and while at first I wondered if the Americans would only look good and the Afghan’s would look ignorant, the characters have a depth that shows why they act the way they do. The Americans are mainly doing good but the author shows the cultural blunders they make and the hypocritical statements about trusting the Afghans but then watching the workers at the base with machine guns (because they obviously don’t trust them). The Afghan men are shown as abusive and loving. It was interesting how Zulaikha loved her father even though he hit the women in the house. The author also makes a clear distinction between the violent Taliban and the peaceful Afghan people. The first 100 pages might seem slow to some readers as it sets-up for a strong ending.

This book has some mature themes and I wouldn’t follow the guidelines of ages 9-13. I would recommend it for grade 5 and up. Women are hit by husbands and have no rights in a male-dominated society. There are allusions to sex but they will probably go over the head of most readers. For instance, Zulaikha’s stepmother receives a blood-stained wedding cloth after Zeynab’s wedding and her sister tells Zulaikha she’s having difficulties with her husband who wants a son, ”but I don’t know.” Nothing is explained. There is a grisly death at the end that might scare readers. The author does a good job showing the story in a nonjudgemental way and it is obvious that it was well-researched. Make sure to read the Acknowledgements at the end where the author explains why he wrote this book.(less)

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Jun 09, 2011 Heidi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

I love reading books about other cultures, other places, and other times. But sometimes these stories can be really gut-wrenching. In this book, the main character, Zulaikha, is an Afghani with a cleft palate. Not only does this make eating, smiling, and talking difficult, but she is treated poorly by both neighborhood boys and her stepmother. It seems that her chances of making a good marriage are about nonexistent. When Zulaikha meets an old acquaintance of her mother, her desire of learning t...more

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Mar 30, 2011 Danielle Larca rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

Words in the Dust is the story of Zulaikha, a 13-year-old Afghan girl born with a severly cleft palate. Like many Afghan girls, Zulaikah does not attend school, is unable to read or write, and spends her days tending house with her stepmother and pretty, older sister, Zeynab. Zulaikha regularly faces torment from cruel neighborhood children about her disfigured face and abuse from her stepmother, but is able to keep her dreams for a normal life someday alive.

When American soldiers roll into town...more Words in the Dust is the story of Zulaikha, a 13-year-old Afghan girl born with a severly cleft palate. Like many Afghan girls, Zulaikah does not attend school, is unable to read or write, and spends her days tending house with her stepmother and pretty, older sister, Zeynab. Zulaikha regularly faces torment from cruel neighborhood children about her disfigured face and abuse from her stepmother, but is able to keep her dreams for a normal life someday alive.

When American soldiers roll into town and offer high-paying jobs to local Afghani citizens, including Zulaikha's Baba (father), he declares that things are turning around for their family. And it's true. Money is pouring in, Zulaikha meets a teacher woman who knew her mother and is willing to teach her to read and write, Zeynab is getting married soon and the soldiers have taken a special interest in fixing Zulaikha's face, allowing her a spark of hope that her dreams could come true.

But not everything turns out as expected and Zulaikha must draw on her strength and courage to face the difficult circumstances ahead.

Words in the Dust is an interesting and unique slice-of-life look at Afghan culture, in which Reedy makes sure to differentiate the difference between the Taliban and the regular citizens, explores the impact of American soldiers in Afghanistan and the differences between the two cultures, while also pulling back the curtain on those whose lives largely remain a mystery. It's a little slow in the beginning, but readers will be rewarded for sticking with it, for the second half of the book picks up the pace and packs a great emotional punch. In his author's note, Reedy explains that he is neither a girl, nor an Afghan and struggled with whether this was his story to tell. He shares some statistics about illiteracy rates among Afghan women, rendering them unable to tell their own stories. It was because of that fact that Reedy ultimately decided that he had to try.

I've read several adult memoirs about life in Middle Eastern countries and have always found them fascinating. Reedy's novel is an excellent introduction to an intriguing, yet often misunderstood, culture.

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Mar 13, 2011 Elizabeth rated it 5 of 5 stars

I enjoyed every minute of this book. Though Reedy is a white male portraying a young girl from Afghanistan, his portrayal is sensitive and believable.

Zulaikha tries to keep her mouth covered at all times to avoid the ridicule of people who cruelly call her "donkey-face" because of her cleft lip. Surgery has not been an option in the rural area where she lives. But when American soldiers on a peace keeping mission discover her problem, she may finally be able to get her mouth fixed.

Reedy, a soldi...more

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Feb 13, 2011 Ian rated it 5 of 5 stars

For those who want a personal experience - not just a book: It has been a long time since I read a book that was such a personal experience. Readers interested in an emotionally engaging book will not be disappointed by this story based on true events.

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Mar 24, 2013 C. rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: those interested in middle east?

I liked this book... It was refreshing and gave me a good idea what life in Afghanistan is like.

Compliments:
1. Nice Writing- While I was not amazed nor wowed by the writing, it was certainly acceptable and well-done. I think a portraying factor to this is that it is aimed for younger readers.

2. Likeable/Loveable-ish Characters: I liked the main character of this story, Zulaikha, (which is important to me, because I tend to despise main characters!) and I really liked her sister and brothers.

3....more

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Jan 10, 2012 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children, middle-grade

It's such a shame that countries in the Middle East, such as Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan, have such beautiful, millenniums-old cultures, and we've allowed a few religious extremists and terrorists to color our perception of them. Trent Reedy, author of Words in the Dust, says as much in his afterword to the book. He traveled to Afghanistan from 2004-2005 as part of the US Army's Reconstruction efforts, and that time there inspired the story told in Words in the Dust. I'm glad that Reedy also add...more It's such a shame that countries in the Middle East, such as Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan, have such beautiful, millenniums-old cultures, and we've allowed a few religious extremists and terrorists to color our perception of them. Trent Reedy, author of Words in the Dust, says as much in his afterword to the book. He traveled to Afghanistan from 2004-2005 as part of the US Army's Reconstruction efforts, and that time there inspired the story told in Words in the Dust. I'm glad that Reedy also addressed the elephant in the room, namely, that he is a white man writing the story of an Afghan girl. I appreciate him saying that he, too, would like nothing more than to read a story written by an Afghan girl about an Afghan girl. But for now, since illiteracy among Afghan women is over 90%, I really do appreciate Reedy's attempts at accurate cultural representation among a very private people group, and I felt that he was really respectful of the culture.

I'm guessing that most children/teens who read Words in the Dust will have little to no prior knowledge of Afghanistan other than the reports of the Taliban on the news (and even then, do people still watch/read the news?). When I was a child, I loved reading books about other cultures. These books helped me to see what it might be like to be from another culture, time period, or place. Reading about main character Zulaikha's trips to the bazaar, her sister's wedding, and the bits of Dari (the dialect of Persian spoken in Afghanistan) was really interesting, and I enjoyed flipping back to the glossary of Dari terms. From an adult/political perspective, it was nice that Reedy didn't fall into either the "glamorize everything about Afghanistan and show that everything would be better without Western influence" OR the "demonstrating what a backwards country this is and how much they need our help" camps.

Zulaikha is a young girl living in Afghanistan (presumably, about the time the author was living there) with her father, stepmother, older brother and sister, and two younger half-brothers. Like most girls in Afghanistan, she is illiterate, because she and her sister, like all girls/women, are expected to spend their time doing chores like cleaning the house and caring for their younger brothers. Unlike most Afghan girls, however, Zulaikha was born with a cleft lip (her upper lip is split down the middle and not connected), disfiguring her and affecting the way that she speaks and eats. Local boys, and even her own little brother make fun of her, calling her Donkeyface, while her stepmother is mean to her. Zulaikha knows that she cannot hope for a wealthy husband to one day marry her, like her older sister, Zeynab, does, but everything changes when she meets some American soldiers who want to operate on her cleft lip. Furthermore, she meets an old seamstress, Meena, who used to know her mother, and who offers to teach her to read.

As I said earlier, Reedy provides mostly a nuanced portrayal of what life might be like for an Afghan girl. At the same time, Zulaikha's life is markedly different from any of the American children who might be reading this book. For one thing, she spends most of her days doing housework and never dreams that she would be able to attend school (until the Americans come in and try to set up schools for girls). Why would she wish for anything other than a wealthy husband when that is the only option available to her, and to all Afghan women. Zulaikha's sister Zeynab's marriage, at 15, to a 45-year-old man with two other wives, is not treated as shocking and horrifying as doubtless an American reader would see it, but rather as an exciting prospect. The depiction of American soldiers was interesting as well. Zulaikha and her family oscillate between being disgusted by their behavior--a female soldier commanding male soldiers and exposing her hair or shaking hands with men unrelated to her--and being grateful for the opportunities they are providing. I can imagine that Words in the Dust will be taught in schools, and that it will provide great fodder for discussion, particularly about the differences in cultures, and how things we might see as respectful might be the opposite in another context.

At the same time, there are some violent, sad, and traumatizing scenes in this book, which are all based on things that the author saw while living in Afghanistan. It's definitely not for a child who can't take anything sad, but that doesn't mean there aren't some glimmers of hope in the book.

Ages 9 and up(less)

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May 15, 2012 Maz rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ever since I read “So much to Tell you” back in year 8 (which was not that long ago… no, really!), I’ve always been intrigued by the idea of a grown man telling the story of a teenage girl from her point of view. How on earth do they know what goes on in young girls’ heads?

What I liked about this book:
Due to her physical deformity, Zulaikha must grapple with relentless bullying, family pressures and expectations, loneliness and disappointment. Like many teenage girls, she dreams of acceptance a...more

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Jan 20, 2011 Betsy rated it 4 of 5 stars

A children's book, written by a soldier about an Afghani girl, set in the recent past. That's a toughie. There are a lot of easier books out there to review too. Why aren't I writing one about the adorable little girl who wants to be Little Miss Apple Pie or the one about the cute dog that wants to find its home? Well, sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone, which I suspect is what author Trent Reedy wanted to do here. With an Introduction by Katherine Paterson and enough backmatter...more A children's book, written by a soldier about an Afghani girl, set in the recent past. That's a toughie. There are a lot of easier books out there to review too. Why aren't I writing one about the adorable little girl who wants to be Little Miss Apple Pie or the one about the cute dog that wants to find its home? Well, sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone, which I suspect is what author Trent Reedy wanted to do here. With an Introduction by Katherine Paterson and enough backmatter to sink a small dinghy, Reedy takes a chance on confronting the state of the people of Afghanistan without coming off as imperialist, judgmental, or a know-it-all. For the most part he succeeds, and the result is a book that carries a lot more complexity in its 272 pages than the first 120 or so would initially suggest. Bear with it then. There's a lot to chew on here.

Zulaikha would stand out in any crowd. It's not her fault, but born with jutting teeth and a cleft upper lip she finds herself on the receiving end of the taunts of the local boys, and sometimes even her own little brother. Then everything in her life seems to happen at once. She's spotted by an American soldier, who with his fellows manages to convince their captain to have Zulaikha flown to a hospital for free surgery. At the same time she makes the acquaintance of a friend of her dead mother, a former professor who begins to teach her girl how to read. Top it all off with the upcoming surprise marriage of Zeynab, Zulaikha's older sister, and things seem to be going well. Unfortunately, hopes have a way of becoming dashed, and in the midst of all this is a girl who must determine what it is she wants and what it is the people she cares about need.

I approach most realistic children's fiction with a great deal of trepidation, particularly when it discusses topical information. The sad truth of children's books is that they are perfect containers for didacticism, even if you did not mean for that to be the case when you begin. With that in mind I read the first 120 pages of the story warily. I wasn't certain that I liked what I saw either. Seemed to me that this book was indeed showing an in-depth portrait of Afghanistan, beauty, warts, and all, while the Americans were these near saviors, picking a poor girl out of the crowd upon whom to bestow free surgery out of the goodness of their golden glorious hearts. Fortunately, by the time we got to page 120 we saw the flip side of the equation. Yes, the Americans are perky and western and what have you. They're also doofuses. Sometimes. They sort of blunder about Afghanistan without any recognition of the cultural courtesies they're supposed to engage in. They merrily serve their Muslim guests food made out of pigs, unaware of what they're doing. At one point Zulaikha's father grows increasingly angry with them for their distrust of common Afghan workers (watching builders at gunpoint so that none of them steal tools) as well as their conversational blunders. Don't get me wrong. The Americans are generally seen as good blokes. But I was worried that this book was going to be one sweet love song to the American invasion, and it's not that. It's nuanced and folks are allowed to be both good and bad. Even the ones writing the book.

I still got nervous, though. I desperately did not want this to be a Poor Little Backwards Afghanistan story, so it's interesting to watch Reedy at work. He draws very distinct lines between the Taliban and everyday Afghanis, which is important. A lot of kids (heck, a lot of adults) have a hard time realizing that citizens of Afghan and the Taliban are not one and the same. At the same time, he has to show the state women inhabit without pulling out any real judgments. The name of the game here is to show and not tell. I think we're all familiar with the awful historical novels where a girl will randomly say something like "corsets restrict more than bodies . . . they restrict minds!" (I actually saw this in a book once) without any outside influences. Such moments are good for drama but are terribly unbelievable. If Zulaikha for one moment suddenly threw down a chadri and stomped on it, the moment would feel forced and false. So I was very impressed by the ending (which I won't give away here) since it invoked books like Anne of Green Gables in terms of its happy, if complicated resolution.

It will be interesting to watch American kids read this title, though. For one thing, how will they react to the physical violence of women? Even "good" male characters in this book will occasionally hit their wives or children. We don't see a lot of domestic violence in children's books where the abuser is not only forgiven but also beloved. It's a cultural reality that some would rather their kids not face, but at the same time it happens. And it seems to me that what Reedy wants more than anything here is for child readers to make up their own minds. I can see more than reader getting a little miffed that the neat and tidy comeuppances they're accustomed to are no longer at play.

This brings up the question of the age of the readership too. The suggested age of 9-13 is probably dipping a bit low. Aside from the aforementioned domestic abuse there's also sex. Not that any is ever viewed, but it's alluded to once in a while. Now typically kids read into a book like this only as much as they themselves know. Only a few would understand why Zulaikha's sister Zeynab blushes so much when receiving wedding night information. Fewer still will understand the significance of the wedding cloth stained with her sister's blood (though I suspect a few might ask their parents about it). And then there's the moment when Zeynab, in the midst of her marriage, tries to explain to her sister some of her difficulties with her husband. "Every night . . . He wants me to have a son, but I don't know . . ." A little old for the readership but, again, a kid sees in that only as much as they necessarily know. Some will comprehend Zeynab's meaning. Others will merrily skim through, oblivious.

The writing is strong, though sometimes a little predictable. The minute Zulaikha's sister questioned the wisdom of bothering to educate women I thought, "Uh-oh. Nothing good's gonna happen to her." Sort of the case, I'm afraid. Reedy also spends a lot of time looking at the characters' day-to-day lives. This is understandable since it gives you a better sense of everyday living, but it does have the unfortunate downside of feeling like there's a bit of unnecessary padding here. The inclination is to skip all this description and get to the plot, though fortunately that instinct doesn't have to kick in very often. Reedy's book always keeps moving, never dies, and feels very much like a first novel. A good first novel, though. An interesting one.

Reedy's Author's Note brings up an essential point that is worth discussing and that I was very pleased to find him address right off the bat. After mentioning that he wrote this book because of another girl named Zulaikha with a cleft lip that he met while serving in Afghanistan between 2004-2005 he goes on to say that he made a promise to her in his head that he would write this book. He goes on, "Of course, another problem I had in keeping my promise is that I have never been a girl and I am not an Afghan. Many would say that stories about Afghan girls should best be told by Afghan girls. I agree completely. I would love nothing more than to read the story of the girl who we helped in her own words. However, the terrible reality is that by some estimates, 87 percent of Afghan women are illiterate." He goes on to mention other statistics as well and then says that he has done his best to be respectful of the "culture and traditions of Afghanistan." There was a bit of discussion last year about authenticity in children's literature. Reedy himself brings up the point about whether or not it is ever okay to write about someone else's life and experience if they are not your own. And what if the group you write about has, until now, remained largely silent in the American publishing world? Is it better that no one writes anything, or should someone try? Reedy compensates for what he is not by mentioning his advisors, his personal history in the region, the poetry used in the book (even going so far as to say which translations he used, for which I was VERY grateful) and then includes a recommended reading list about Afghanistan that includes books for both kids and teens as well as adults. You cannot say he has not covered his bases. If your objection is what he is and how that is not the same as the person he has taken the voice of (or given voice to?) then none of that will change your mind. For others, it gives the book a kind of legitimacy that the mere words upon the page would not have.

Disfigured girls have a way of cropping up in Middle Eastern children's fiction these days. It might be very interesting to pair this book alongside the set in Palestine novel Where The Streets Had A Name by Randa Abdel-Fattah. Of course, in Abdel-Fattah's book the heroine's face was injured late in life and is easy enough to hide for the most part under make-up. The best pairing, however, would probably be with N.H. Senzai's Shooting Kabul, a book inspired in part by the author's husband's experience fleeing Soviet controlled Afghanistan. Words in the Dust is even more contemporary than those two novels, and it covers new ground. Zulaikha's is a voice we've not heard in recent children's books. Here's the hope, then, that she is just the frontrunner of more good things to come. A strong debut.

For ages 11 and up.(less)

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