Words in the Dust by Trent Reedy

Trent Reedy was a member of the Iowa National Guard who intended to write books about growing up in Iowa once his service was over--then his unit was sent to Afghanistan on a peacekeeping mission. And that is where he found his inspiration for Words in the Dust, the story of a girl named Zulaikha growing up in rural Afghanistan.

Words in the Dust relates the everyday life--and the dreams--of a bright and lively girl who has the misfortune of having been born with a cleft lip. She fears her appearance will keep her from following the traditional path of marriage and motherhood. And she yearns for an education, which so many girls in Afghanistan are still denied.

It's interesting to learn more about daily life in a country that has been prominently featured in the news for so long. And it's disheartening to see how little women are valued, a point vividly made through the heartbreaking story of Zulaikha's older sister Zeynab.