Trent Reedy’s WORDS IN THE DUST is a beautiful debut following the life of a thirteen-year-old girl in Afghanistan. After the defeat of the Taliban, Zulaikha hopes for peace. She hopes to go to school and possibly have her cleft palate fixed.
This is a daring look at Afghan culture, what the people of Afghanistan lost during the war against the Taliban, and what they now hope for. It is a book that changed me. As an American, I hear “Taliban” and probably like most of you, I become angry.
As I read, I realized how ignorant my anger is. Yes, Americans have a right to be angry, but I didn’t have any idea how the Taliban ravaged Afghanistan and their culture.
I urge you to read this book. It is a relevant and powerful study in culture, change, and the imperfection. It is marketed for 9-13 year olds, but is a book for children and adults alike. I loved it.
Trent Reedy is a quiet force and I’m thankful he shared this poignant story. Reedy became fascinated with Afghanistan when he served in the U.S. Army in 2004-2005. Upon his return to the United States, he enrolled in the Writing for Children MFA program at the Vermont College of Fine Arts, where he wrote the first drafts of this book. Ten percent of the author’s proceeds up to $10,000 will be donated to Women for Afghan Women, which advocates for the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan.
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