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Consider both small and big moments that shape your character.

Consider change of physical locations.

Consider encountering and overcoming barriers.

Consider learning experiences your character has.

Please include photos of important moments in the book(yes, actual pictures of the text).

Include maps, photos, or other important elements that would help bring your character's journey to life.

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Kabul, Afghanistan

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The story starts with Farah in Kabul, her hometown. The mujahedeen, a group of rebels, invade Kabul & take over-- therefore, a lot of bloodshed & rockets happen. Despite these obstacles, Farah is able to enjoy her life with her family.

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When taking a shortcut to school, Farah accidentally steps on a land mine and gets injured. Eventually, a neighbor saves her & takes her to a hospital.

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Land mines

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Farah recovers in the Kabul hospital for 40 days .. but conditions there aren't the best. The equipment and knowledge of treatment there is limited, and most of the staff were rude to patients. Farah's only hope was to get her leg treated by the Germans.

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Farah, along with 30 other children, get chosen to go to Germany in order to get their injuries treated. The doctors there had better technology & more resources, so Farah was taken care of well. 1 of Farah's legs was amputated, and that made her miserable.

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Germany.

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While in the hospital, Christina, one of the patients' parents, sees Farah & decides to befriend her. Farah makes a new friend, and she looked forward to Christina's visits every day.

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When Farah's recovered enough, she gets the opportunity to receive a prosthetic leg. She's initially hesitant to use it, but after a nurse motivates her, she agrees. Farah gets used to her new leg, gains the weight she lost, and after 2 years-- she's recovered. However, because of the war in Kabul, she gets sent to a hostel & stays there-- visiting Christina, once in a while, until the war ends. Eventually, Farah gets sent back to Kabul, where the rockets have stopped.

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This is the Afghan Flag

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When Farah finally gets the chance to return to her home, she's relieved to see her family safe & happy. However, she's gotten used to life in Germany, so her familys' customs and way of life seem strange to her (she dislikes eating on the floor, thinks her familys' clothing is strange, etc.).

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One of the other things that Germany didn't have-- that Kabul had plenty of, was gunfiire. The sound of the rockets & gunfire was everywhere, and plenty of soldiers were in the streets. Farah's relatives had lost their lives because of this gunfire.... However, despite their losses, Farah's mother & father continue to work hard & support the family.

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Rockets in Kabul

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After living in Kabul for a while, Farah's resolve weakens and she wants to adapt to her homes' customs. Her overjoyed father decides to make a whole new wardrobe for her... but while Farah & her mother are out clothes shopping, Farah's home got hit by a rocket. Her father & siblings lost their lives. (She, her mother & 2 of her brother survive)

While her mother is in distress over this loss, Farah isn't allowed to go to her father's funeral.. since people thought her disability would slow them down. During this period, Farah stays with her uncle.

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After the Taliban, a political group, capture Kabul, they set rules so that women rarely get the chance to go outside. Farah's unable to go to school, and the Taliban, who discriminate against Hazaras (Farah & her family were Hazaras), wanted to draft young men for their army.

To make sure these young men weren't executed by the Taliban... Farah's mother & their neighbors gave what little money they had to their sons. This group of men-- which included Farah's 2 brothers, used that money to escape from the Taliban. Farah never heard from her brothers again.

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This is a chadari-- one of the Taliban's many rules was for women to wear one whenever they went outside, with an escort.

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Farah's aunt writes to Farah's mother-- saying that she & her daughter should come to Quetta and escape the Taliban, and they could live with her. Farah's mother accepts her offer, and she & Farah make their way to Quetta.

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Quetta, Pakistan

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Pakistan flag

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Farah & her mother pack only a few things, since her mother's asthma had been getting worse, and Farah couldn't carry that much. They traveled from Kabul to Jalalabad, then went on a bus to the border. However, it is difficult to get past that border.. since the guards only let you through with a bribe.

However, luck is on their side.. Farah camps near a man named Ali, who had found a safe way across the border in a smuggler's path. He and his family offer to take Farah & her mother across that path, and they accept. With Ali's help, they finally passed the border.

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After reaching Pakistan... Ali offers to let Farah & her mother stay at his friends' place with him for a few days, but they decline & move on to Quetta. However, moving to Quetta wasn't any better... there wasn't enough food or space for everyone at her aunt's home, and Farah & her mother finally move out.

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It was especially hard to rent a room for Farah and her mother, especially because they were 2 women. They ended up in a refugee camp.. and because of the declining weather, Farah's mother's asthma got worse. Farah couldn't earn much money either, so all they could do was live in the camp & go to the hospital.

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Farah and her mother stayed in a United Nations camp during this time.

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Farah finally managed to rent a room in a home belonging to a merchant family. But in exchange, she had to do everything they requested of her without complaint, or they'd send her out in the streets again.

Because of this, the family's oldest daughter takes the opportunity to abuse and overwork Farah. Her prosthetic leg also gets worn out because of this abuse, and her mother's asthma got worse. Farah only gets past these difficulties with her religion-- she prays to her God often, and finally, an opportunity comes... 1,000 Afghan refugees would get to go to America !

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With her mother in fear after losing her family-- Farah had to try hard to convince her mother that it's the right decision to go to the US. When they arrive, crowds of people are already there-- trying to get interviews, so it was difficult to even get to the door. However, a man takes pity on Farah & her mother.. and he directs them to the embassy to get an interview.

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The US Embassy, in Afghanistan

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Eventually, Farah and her mother get chosen to go to America with a few other families. Farah's mom is not happy at all about going to America. All of the other families go to California while they go to Chicago.

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Chicago, USA

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At first, Farah and her mother stay with an American family, but her mom was terrified they would be slaves, and convinced Farah of this too. They were the worst house guests ever for almost a week before the World Relief officers phoned an Afghan who had been in America for a year so that they could talk. Farah and her mother stayed the night, but in the morning her mother was sick so they brought her to the hospital. She was in a coma for a week, and when she woke up, the World relief officers had found them an apartment.

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Farah and her mother spent the first few months just doing paperwork and getting on programs. They hated going to the hospital because they had to use taxis, and the drivers were heavy smokers. They were scared to go outside at first because this world was way different from the one they always new. It was hard to go to the grocery store because they lived in the suburbs and didn't have a car so they had to carry everything. Farah started taking English classes. Eventually, World relief couldn't help them anymore, and they were on their own.

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Farah met Alyce, a volunteer from World Relief, who at first just came once a week to help Farah with her English. But Alyce also started to bring Farah the things she and her mother needs, pots and pans, dishes and cooking utensils, a phone, new clothes, and even a TV. (Farah's mom didn't want her watching TV at first, but Farah convinced her otherwise eventually.)

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Alyce started to visit Farah more often and they became good friends, they told each other everything. Farah started to go to high school. She's had no education since second grade, so she was an ESL student in a class with many other refugees. She progressed quickly in math her first year, so they put her in pre-algebra. She was horrible at it, and she wanted to quit, but her counselor wouldn't let her. Slowly through the years she was in less and less ESL classes until most of her classes were with Americans. Farah told the reader to reach out to refugees, and that they want to be your friends, but there shy, so you have to reach out first. Farah has no American friends her age.

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While getting a new leg, Farah saw a woman with a prosthesis get into a car and drive off, so she wanted to learn to drive too. There was a girl in her class who said she could never learn to drive, but Farah proved her wrong. Alyce helped Farah go to a place where disabled people can learn to drive, and got a car with levers o make it drive, but Farah couldn't use it well, and she insisted she could still bend her foot. They tried using a normal car, but she was too short, so they went to a place that made devises to help with that sort of thing. Farah got a platform, and from there driving was easy. They couldn't afford to buy a car, so Alyce helped ask around for anyone who was giving away cars. Farah insisted on one car, but it got sold so she had to get a different one which she was less thrilled about.

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An example of a prosthetic leg.

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During the second summer in America, Farah and her mom moved to a new apartment, and Farah started going to a new school. The ESL program at her new school had an international club. At first Farah couldn't come because she had to take care of her mother, but eventually her life eased up and she could go. They announced there would be a fashion show and Farah was conflicted about going. She really wanted to do it, but she was scared she would fall because of her leg. The girl who had said she would never learn to drive was there, and put Farah down just for wanting to participate. Farah cried all the way home, but Alyce called and when Farah told her what happened, Alyce convinced her to do the show anyway. She did the show, and her mom was so proud of her showing off Afghan clothes, and Alyce said no one could tell about the leg. Farah felt like she was wearing high heels.

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Farah is now living in a good apartment and she and her mother fell safer. Her mother can sleep better now, but she still asks to sleep with Farah sometimes. Her mom never gives Farah mother-daughter talks, but she doesn't say much accept to scold Farah. Her mom trusts Farah more now though, and said that she's glad Farah brought them to America, which made Farah happy. Farah wants to have a job that gives someone a new life. She wants to go back and see Afghanistan again someday. At least, she wants to tell parents in Afghanistan to send their children to school instead of work. She doesn't want to forget her past anymore, or forget where she came from. She feels today like she's both Afghan and American, and that "today is not necessarily where it ends."