Najmah, a young Afghan girl, finds herself alone when the Taliban conscripts her father and brother. In addition, Najmah’s mother and baby brother are killed in an air raid. Elaine, an American woman, is also alone in Peshawar, Pakistan. She teaches refugee children under the persimmon tree. She longs for the return of her Afghan doctor husband, who runs a clinic in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan. Najmah’s father assures Najmah that the stars will look after her. Elaine’s husband has promised he would let her know where he was and that he was safe. Najmah leaves Afghanistan to take refuge in Pakistan. She must cross the mountains to travel to the Pakistan border. In the meantime, Elaine awaits Najmah’s arrival.

English language arts 10 (2011).