Answer:
Chapter Two
1. Why does Parvana have to go to get water for the family? Why does the water
have to then be boiled?
Parvana has to get the water, as no one else is able. Father couldn’t carry water
because of his leg; the little brother and sister were too small to carry water up three
flights of stairs, and Mother and Nooria would stumble in burqas and they had no
male to accompany them for safety from the Taliban. There is no running water or
water faucets.
2. Why doesn’t the family talk to the neighbors or invite friends over?
Father said it wasn’t safe to talk to others because anyone could be a spy for the
Taliban. Parvana feels that is safe but too lonely for her.
3. Why does the family sell their things? Why would they sell Paravana’s good
clothing?
Like many Afghan families, they regularly sold what they could for money for food.
Parvana would not be going anywhere she could wear good clothes, so there was no
need for the clothing. It also had to be sold.
4. Who was Hossain?
Hossain was the first-born and would have been the oldest brother in the family. He
was killed by a land mine when he was 14 years old. The family misses him terribly.
Mother saved his clothes. Parvana would have liked to be able to play with him now.
5. What was Father’s lesson in his story tonight?
The lesson from the history story was that Afghanistan has always been the home of
the bravest women in the world. He is telling his family this because they have to be
brave.
6. Why do the four soldiers burst in the room and take Father away?
Because Father was educated in England. This means, there was really no reason to
take Father but they just did. They put him in jail. Parvana threw herself at the
soldiers because she did not want them to take Father’s books and cause him more
trouble.
