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All of the stories are now available in Dari and in Pashto
translations from the English original versions. Please click on the
language name link to open a PDF version of the stories in the language
of your choice.
We encourage you to translate the stories into the language of your
area. Please provide a Word or PDF file and we will post your
translations here.
 Chapter One -
Jameela's Gifts
Dari
Pashto
Jameela lives
with her family in a village in Afghanistan. They were already
experiencing a great deal of difficulty during the domestic struggles of
their homeland when tragedy struck. After coming in contact with a land
mine while working in the field, her Uncle Yunus was killed and her
father lost a leg.
In Jameela’s Gifts, Jameela and her younger brother Ahmed try to
understand the anger and estrangement demonstrated by their older
brother Abdullah. With the guidance of their grandmother, Bibi Jan, they
learn how they might help him get over the loss of his Uncle Yunus, with
whom he was very close.
Chapter Two - The
Wisdom of Bibi Jan
Dari
Pashto
The Wisdom of Bibi Jan further demonstrates the grandmother’s role in the as
comforter and adviser. Abdullah’s concern over the change in personality
of a school friend due to the trauma of the war triggers Jameela’s
revelation that she is having nightmares, and Bibi Jan provides her with
a special cure for her fears.
Chapter Three -
Making Cookies
Dari
Pashto
Much more of what is
troubling Jameela is presented in Making Cookies. Her fear of landmines
is so strong that she is even frightened walking along a path that has been
cleared, much to Abdullah’s annoyance. Bibi Jan uses the opportunity of making
cookies to help Jameela come to terms with her father’s injury, as well finding
for Fatima a positive means of expression of grief for Yunus.
Chapter Four -
Merza's Heart
Dari
Pashto
Jameela is finding
very difficult to fathom the mysteries that are locked up inside Merza’s
Heart. She mourns the loss of the cheerful man she knew before his injury,
the one who was full of stories. Her innocent questions brings him to tears, but
they also remind him of the man he used to be, and create the yearning in him to
be that way again
Chapter Five -
Yunus's Song
Dari
Pashto
The sadness and grief
of Fatima, young widow of Yunus, is felt by Jameela and Ahmed, who attempt to
cheer her. Bibi Jan notices and suggests ways for the family to come together
and celebrate good memories of Yunus, especially by singing Yunus’s Song.
Chapter Six - Leaving Home
Dari Pashto
When their village is
shelled through the night, the family faces the grim truth that they must
abandon what is most dear to them in Leaving Home. Each of them deals
with this traumatic thought in his or her own way, but ultimately they know it
is for the best and put on a brave front as they face the future.
Chapter Seven - A New Friend
Dari
Pashto
In A New Friend,
the family is staying with an old friend of Merza’s while they are on their
journey to the safety of his brother’s place in the city. While there, Abdullah
learns a valuable lesson about the nature of making judgments about people who
are different in either the language that they speak or their beliefs.
Chapter Eight -
Reconciliation
Dari
Pashto
As the family
continues its journey to the city, Abdullah discovers that Jameela has brought
her kitten from home and has kept it hidden the entire journey. In anger, he
takes the kitten from her and threw it in the undergrowth of some bushes of to
the side of the road. Jameela is angry with her brother and refuses to
acknowledge his existence. It is up to Bibi Jan to find a way for there to be
Reconciliation.
Chapter Nine - Merza's Anger
Dari Pashto
In Merza’s Anger,
Merza’s loss of control over his temper has given cause for fear to both Jameela
and Ahmed. The emotional upheaval wreaks havoc on both children, and causes them
to be short with each other. While hiding, Ahmed overhears his father talking to
Bibi Jan about his own insecurity regarding the loss of his leg. When the child
is discovered, it becomes an opportunity for bridges to be mended between father
and son.
Chapter Ten - Making Peace
Dari
Pashto
Bibi Jan’s diplomatic
skills are once again put to the test in Making Peace. While looking for
Merza’s brother Aly and his wife Aisha in the city, the family is staying at a
camp for displaced persons located in an old schoolhouse. While in the cramped
quarters where they must make their temporary home, Abdullah gets into a fight
with a boy his own age over the intrusion of his bicycle
in the others’ living space.
Chapter Eleven - Abdullah and the Ten Foot
Man
Dari
Pashto
As Abdullah and the
Ten-foot Soldier opens, Abdullah, now living with his family at his uncle’s
house for a week, comes down with a fever. He recalls his childhood dreams about
wanting to grow up to be a soldier before he falls asleep. He dreams about
meeting a giant soldier in the market who teaches him a lesson about the reality
of war.
Chapter Twelve - A New Life
Dari
Pashto
In A New Life,
Jameela expresses her joy at being able to meet Aly and Aisha as helping to
offset being away from her home. However, when Haleema tells her that she will
soon have a baby sister or brother, Jameela’s anxiety over the instability of
their lives takes over. Her mother helps her to understand why this is a
blessing for them all.
Chapter Thirteen - Going Home
Dari
Pashto
Going Home
begins with the news that after a year, the family is finally going to make the
journey back home. As the family makes their preparations for their return, it
is clear that there is still some tension between Hameela and Fatima.
Chapter Fourteen - Haleema and Fatima
Dari
Pashto
The
relationship between the two women is the main theme in Haleema and Fatima.
The family is journeying back to their village, accompanied by Aly and Aisha,
who will stay with them for a visit there. Suddenly, Haleema’s baby is born, and
Fatima helps her, using her new skills as a midwife. Though there were
difficulties, Fatima is able to safeguard their health. This prompts Haleema to
reconcile with her sister-in-law.
Chapter Fifteen - The End of the Journey
Dari
Pashto
The healing process
and renewal of the bonds that exist within the family are very evident in
The End of the Journey. It opens with a dream that Bibi Jan has, which
indicates the level of anxiety she has for the return trip and the condition of
their home when they arrive. When they do, they find that the damages are
minimal, and they begin the process of rediscovering what is truly important
during the first meal they share together
Chapter Sixteen - Building the Future
Dari
Pashto
Building the
Future presents the family coming together as a unit and
working to restore their home. They can now turn their concerns to the
community at large. After Abdullah encounters a few of his friends in the
village,
he comes up with the idea of rebuilding homes that have been damaged in the
war. Along with the others, Abdullah begins a campaign of community
restoration which also solidifies the next step in his personal growth and
heightens
the admiration of his younger siblings. The final image of the story is that of
a
community working and singing together.
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