From Afghanistan to America, family matters most in this "empowering
mystery" (Publishers Weekly), a companion to Shooting Kabul, which
Kirkus Reviews called a "story with much to offer."
A rough and tumble tomboy, twelve-year-old Ariana couldn't be more
different from her cousin Laila, who just arrived from Afghanistan with
her family. Laila is a proper, ladylike Afghan girl, one who can cook,
sew, sing, and who is well versed in Pukhtun culture and manners.
Arianna hates her. Laila not only invades Ariana's bedroom in their
cramped Fremont townhouse, but she also becomes close with Mariam
Nurzai, Ariana's best friend.
Then a rival Afghan grocery store opens near Ariana's family store,
reigniting a decades-old feud tracing back to Afghanistan. The cousins,
Mariam, and their newfound frenemy, Waleed Ghilzai, must ban together to
help the families find a lasting peace before it destroys both
businesses and everything their parents have worked for.
"Senzai successfully weaves the dynamics of Afghan culture, history and
political wranglings into a classically American mystery story (Kirkus
Reviews)."