Moving story about living in Afghanistan

I must admit, I almost gave up on critically-acclaimed Words in the Dust by Trent Reedy.  I wasn't in the right mood, I think.  I'm so happy, however, that I finished it.  It became so much more than I expected.

It is the story of Zalaika, who lives in a traditional Muslim family in Afghanistan.  It is set after the Taliban has been removed from power, just as Afghanistan gets to vote again.  Zalaika dreams of many things, to learn to read, to have a family of her own, but especially to have her cleft lip repaired.  She is called "Donkeyface" because of her disfigurement, and is embarrassed to eat in public because it it so difficult.  Then, an American soldier sees her and offers to make her dream of a repaired lip come true. She also meets a local woman who begins to teach her to read.  It seems that her dreams are coming true, after all.

I appreciated this story because it depicted a realistic and respectful portrayal of the joys and struggles in Affhanistan.  I was afraid it would be a sort of Cinderella story in which everyone lives happily ever after.  However, it was not.  It manages to join hope and courage with fear and tragedy.  While written for young people, it is graphic in its description of violence; be prepared for discussion.