After her father is arrested and her family is left without someone to earn money, eleven-year-old Parvana disguises herself as a boy to become the breadwinner, although the risks are great under Taliban rule.

In order to earn enough money to buy her own passage out of the Afghan refugee camp where she lives, Shauzia dresses like a boy, but is forced into panhandling and ends up in jail, gaining hope only when a well-meaning American family rescues her.