This gripping novel will help kids and adults understand many of the complex issues surrounding the U.S. involvement in Afghanistan and what led to the tragic events we see unfolding every day in the news. Gratz alternates between two page-turning parallel stories. Nine-year old Brandon’s story takes place on September 11, 2001, and puts us in the middle of the attack on the World Trade Center as we follow Brandon’s and his father’s harrowing struggle to escape with their lives. 11-year-old Reshmina’s story takes place on September 11, 2019, and takes us to a remote village in Afghanistan where Reshmina and her family struggle to survive the devastating violence between the Taliban and the U.S. military that has torn her family apart. You won’t want to stop reading until you find out what happens to Brandon and Reshmina and their families. In the end, Reshmina’s determination to find a different path, rejecting both the Taliban and the U.S. government, offers a glimmer of hope. Suspenseful, heartbreaking, and important. Grades 4 - 8 -- Rhonda