Best friends Tamanna and Yasmine cannot believe their good fortune when a school is set up in their Afghan village; however, their dreams for the future are shattered when the Taliban burns down the school and threatens the teacher and students with death.

As Tamanna faces an arranged marriage to an older man, and the Taliban targets Yasmine’s western-educated family, the girls realize they must flee. Traveling through the heart of Taliban territory, the two unaccompanied young women find themselves in mortal danger. After suffering grave injuries—Tamanna from a fall and Yasmine from a suicide bombing—the girls are left without the one thing that has helped them survive—each other.

Filled with tension and drama, THUNDER OVER KANDAHAR paints a vivid portrait of the perils of contemporary Afghanistan.

Sharon McKay is an award-winning author of many books for parents and children, including Penelope from the Our Canadian Girl series. Her first young adult novel, Charlie Wilcox, won the Geoffrey Bilson Award and was shortlisted for the Governor General's Award and the Ruth Schwartz Award. Charlie Wilcox's Great War, the sequel, was nominated for a 2003 Red Maple Award. Esther, her most recent novel for young adults, was shortlisted for a 2004 Governor General's Award.

Sharon McKay's profile page

Rafal Gerszak's work has been published and exhibited internationally.

Rafal Gerszak's profile page

• Winner, Amelia Bloomer Project List, ALA

“… what shines through this sad narrative is the love Afghans have for their country … [a] gripping tale.”

School Library Journal, 12/10