Parvana is eleven years old. She lives with her family in Kabul, Afghanistan. The Taliban are the leaders of Afghanistan, and the situation is not comfortable for many people, especially women. When her father, Nurullah (or Baba), is arrested for being a teacher, Parvana's mother, Fateema, has to take care of their three children.

Women cannot walk in the streets without a man, but Parvana’s mother travels to the local prison to see her husband. The Taliban soldiers beat her, and she must go back home devastated.

Parvana lives with her mum and dad, her older sister Soraya and her younger brother Zaki. With Baba in prison, they become desperate for food, so Parvana must cut her hair and disguise as a boy. Then she can go out in public and become the breadwinner for her family. She meets a girl named Shauzia, who also dresses as a boy for the same reason. Shauzia teaches Parvana how to earn money on the streets of Kabul ,and they become good friends.

With her new friend and freedom, Parvana gains confidence in herself and takes the responsibility of bringing food to her family. She also invents a fantastical story to cheer her family up while they wait for their father’s return. The story is about a young boy named Sulayman who must travel a great distance and complete three trialsto defeat a giant elephant who is terrorizing his land. Sulayman was the name of Parvana's brother, but he died accidentally.

Parvana takes a lot of risks to earn money and free her dad. Young Taliban boy Idrees is very hard on the girls, and he wants to kill them when they are discovered. The war is going to start in Kabul soon, so the situation is very tense now. The family has to leave Kabul, but they don't want to leave Baba behind.