Parvana's father used to be a teacher but the war turned him into a merchant. He teaches his daughter the importance of history. Their country has suffer from countless occupations over the years. She regularly accompanies her father on his trips to the market of their hometown, where he sells various items along with his skills for writing and reading. One day he is arrested by one member of the Taliban, and his family is left without means to survive. Without an adult male relative women are not allowed to leave the house or to make money, and after Parvana's attempt to get food becomes a disaster. She decides to dress as a boy in order to get the provisions. Everything works just fine for a while, but the rest of the family leave the city while Parvana works to look for a husband for the eldest daughter and they get caught into a trap.