New Releases by Deborah Ellis

Binti''s father is dying from AIDS, a disease that nobody in their town in Malawi dares name aloud. When the family is split up and sent to live with various scared and cruel relatives, Binti knows that it is up to her to reunite them. But her fight to do so means coming to an understanding of herself, and also of human nature.

Thirteen year-old Parvana and other Afghan children search the countryside for missing parents.

Although she may not have a normal life like everyone else, Khyber enjoys what she has and doesn''t look to change things, yet when her mother decides to move her autistic brother into a special home and her homeless friend goes missing, Khyber''s special world is suddenly turned upside down. Reprint.

CLOSE DOWN YOUR SCHOOL... OR YOU WILL PAY THE PRICE. CLOSE DOWN YOUR SCHOOL OR WE WILL KILL YOU. LOCKED AWAY BY AMERICAN MILITARY SOLDIERS IN AFGHANISTAN, PARVANA REFUSES TO TALK TO HER CAPTORS. HER SILENCE ONLY BAFFLES AND ANGERS THOSE IN CHARGE, LEADING THEM TO QUESTION THE INNOCENCE OF THIS YOUNG SILENT REBEL, SNATCHED FROM THE RUINS OF A BOMBED-OUT SCHOOL. THEIR ONLY CLUE IS HER DIARY AND A SERIES OF NAMES IN IT THAT THEY HOPE WILL HELP THEM FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED. THROUGH PARVANA’S STORY, YOU WILL SEE HOW LIVES ARE SHATTERED AND SCATTERED LIKE SHRAPNEL IN A COUNTRY DEVASTATED BY WAR. YOU WILL ENCOUNTER PEOPLE WAGING THEIR OWN CRUSHING BATTLES: A SINGLE MOTHER STRIVING AGAINST VICIOUS TRADITION TO RUN A SCHOOL FOR GIRLS; YOUNG GIRLS GROWING UP WITH GRIM REALITIES AND DREAMS OF FREE SKIES; AND STUDENTS STRUGGLING TO GET AN EDUCATION THAT WILL GIVE THEM WINGS. MOST OF ALL, YOU WILL MEET, AND NEVER FORGET, A FEISTY GIRL WHO BELIEVES THAT EVEN IN THE DARKEST HOURS OF DEATH AND DESTRUCTION, HOPE SHINES FORTH LIKE THE DESERT SUN. अफगाणिस्तानात वर्षानुवर्षं चाललेल्या युद्धामुळे तिथलं राजकीय, आर्थिक, सामाजिक जीवन ढवळून निघालं आहे. तिथल्या नागरिकांना दैनंदिन जीवनासाठी लढाई लढावी लागते आहे. तालिबानने अफगाणिस्तानवर केलेल्या हल्ल्यानंतर तेथील स्त्रियांवर खूप बंधनं लादण्यात आली. मुलींच्या शाळेत जाण्यावर बंदी आली. मुलींच्या शाळाच बंद पाडल्या गेल्या. स्त्रियांना नोकरी करण्यास मज्जाव करण्यात आला आणि कपड्यांवर, सार्वजनिक वावरावर जुनाट बंधनं लादली गेली. नंतर अमेरिकेने अफगाणिस्तानवर हल्ला करून तालिबानी सत्ता संपुष्टात आणली, तरी सर्वसामान्य लोकांच्या आणि स्त्रियांच्या जीवनात काहीच फरक पडला नाही. स्त्रियांचं स्थान दुय्यमच राहिलं. अशा विपरीत परिस्थितीतही परवानासारखी मुलगी शिक्षणाची, फ्रान्सला जाण्याची- स्वातंत्र्यपूर्ण भरारीची स्वप्ने पाहते. अर्थातच त्यासाठी तिला प्रचंड संघर्ष करावा लागतो. संकटात सापडलेल्या स्त्रियांना/ मुलींना आधार देणाऱ्या वीरा मौसीच्या आधारावर ती या स्फोटक परिस्थितीतून कशी बाहेर पडते याचं चित्रण केलं आहे ‘माय नेम इज परवाना’ या पुस्तकात.