She wasn’t really supposed to be outside at all. The Taliban had ordered all the girls and women in Afghanistan to stay inside their homes. They even forbade girls to go to school.
-- Narrator (Chapter 1 paragraph 3)

Importance: Parvana lived in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. The Taliban would not allow women to be outside the house unless they were escorted by a man. The only reason Parvana was allowed to be outside was because her father needed her to help him walk to and from work.

Most people in Afghanistan could not read or write. Parvana was one of the lucky ones. Both of her parents had been to university, and they believed in education for everyone, even girls.
-- Narrator (Chapter 1 paragraph 12)

Importance: Although education was not encouraged in Afghanistan, Parvana’s family was highly educated. Both her mother and father had attended universities. It was because Parvana’s father could read and write that he was able...