First published 2022
Freshta Tori Jan opens her story as a young girl from an ethnic minority facing daily terror in Afghanistan. The Taliban shut down her school. Her family endured kidnapping attempts and constant threats of murder whether riding the bus, walking to school, or going to work. Many of her friends were killed. Jan chronicles her path through poverty and systematic oppression to find her voice as a community organizer. She now works to empower young people and amplify stories from those who cannot speak for themselves. Jan believes youth must lead change both today and in the future. Her first-person narrative captures her transformation from victim to advocate. Black and white illustrations accompany her accessible account of survival and activism.
Genres: autobiography, non-fiction, biography-memoir, activism
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, victim-to-advocate
Setting: Afghanistan
Period: 21st-century
128 pages · Hardcover · Norton Young Readers
Content warnings: abuse, violence