Mahtab's Story - Outside of a Dog

eBook

English language

Published Sept. 28, 2009 by Allen & Unwin Pty Ltd, Allen & Unwin.

ISBN:: 9781741763089

No rating (1 review)

The vivid and compelling story of a young girl fleeing Afghanistan with her family and their journey to Australia. Inspired by a true story.Mahtab was empty. She felt hungry...for water, for her father, for her grandmother, her aunts and uncles, for the trees in the back yard, the cabinet on the wall, the silver and glass objects so lovingly collected, for her mountains, the jagged peaks that cut the sky.Her father was dead. She felt sure of it. She was just a speck of dirt on the floor, drifting through the gap between the boards, falling to the ground.Mahtab and her family are forced to leave their home in Herat and journey secretly through the rocky mountains to Pakistan and from there to faraway Australia. Months go by, months of waiting, months of dread. Will they every be reunited with their father, will they ever find a home?This compelling novel …

The vivid and compelling story of a young girl fleeing Afghanistan with her family and their journey to Australia. Inspired by a true story.Mahtab was empty. She felt hungry...for water, for her father, for her grandmother, her aunts and uncles, for the trees in the back yard, the cabinet on the wall, the silver and glass objects so lovingly collected, for her mountains, the jagged peaks that cut the sky.Her father was dead. She felt sure of it. She was just a speck of dirt on the floor, drifting through the gap between the boards, falling to the ground.Mahtab and her family are forced to leave their home in Herat and journey secretly through the rocky mountains to Pakistan and from there to faraway Australia. Months go by, months of waiting, months of dread. Will they every be reunited with their father, will they ever find a home?This compelling novel by one of Australia's best-loved children's authors is basedc on the true story of one girl's voyage to Australia with her family.

2 editions

Elska Bee reviewed Mahtab's story by Libby Gleeson

Review of "Mahtab's story" on 'Goodreads'

No rating

Read for Asian Readathon 2021 - Asian Protagonist (Afghanistan)

I don't think this is the kind of book you can rate, it was powerful, emotional, and frustrating. Frustrating because I wanted to jump into the book and help Mahtab and her family, and frustrating because I know refugees in this country need to be treated so much better, especially children.

I say this as someone who hates telling or being told to read a book: Every Australian needs to read this book.