Words In The Dust. By Trent Reedy (2011) - Plot & Excerpts
Words in the Dust, by Trent Reedy, is about Zulaikha, a 12 year old girl growing up in war-torn Afghanistan. Though the life in Afghanistan is getting better since the removal of the Taliban, things aren’t any different for Zulaikha. She’s still the girl with the cleft lip that the boys call Donkeyface, still forced to answer to her father’s harsh wife, and still yearning for the comfort of her deceased mother. But when the Americans come to Zulaikha’s home of An Daral, everything changes. Her life is finally starting to look up, and most importantly, she might even be able to get her cleft lip fixed, which would mean a whole new life to Zulaikha. As Zulaikha struggles to find stability and hope in her ever changing life, I was also struggling to understand how people like Zulaikha could be so strong with so many obstacles hindering her. I felt like the author did a very good job with writing in the Zulaikha’s voice. A constant theme that runs in the book is to be careful what you wish for, because sometimes when it looks like the clouds are clearing up, the storm comes back again. The pain, joy, and fear that she felt all seemed so real and like I was even Zulaikha myself. Words in the Dust was as just heartbreaking as well as heartwarming, and it was just so beautifully written. I found all the characters to be credible because it seemed like if I was in their shoes, I would’ve felt the same way. Their sadness and joy all seemed how like an one of us would feel if they were faced with the same circumstances. Also, this story was actually based off of true stories the author witnessed while serving in Afghanistan. If you enjoyed books about the lives of people overcoming the obstacles of war in Afghanistan, such as The Breadwinner; and/or books about overcoming disabilities and finding hope, such as Out of My Mind, you would probably enjoy this book. I give this Words in the Dust 5 out of 5 stars, for the beautiful writing and even more beautiful story. Reedy, T. (2011). Words in the Dust. New York: Scholastic.Zulaikha was born with a cleft palate. This is just one of her challenges as she is coping with life in Afghanistan and the defeating of the Taliban, her desire to become educated and go to school, and her stepmom. Her self-esteem is on the brink, but there is hope around the corner. The compelling part of this story starts with the author who was a U.S. soldier.Booklist 01/01/11Publishers Weekly 11/29/10Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 01/01/11School Library Journal 02/01/11Horn Book 10/01/11Teacher Librarian 02/01/12Kirkus Reviews 12/01/10Wilson's Children 09/01/11Library Media Connection starred 05/01/11Wilson's Junior High School 09/01/11This book would work well with an English class focusing on cultural differences. It also works on an individual basis for those struggling with appearance issues.DIVERSITY BOOK - Social issues, abnormalities.
What do You think about Words In The Dust. By Trent Reedy (2011)?
these is a great book and to reflect people
—fatin
