
A young girl races against time to craft baskets and escape a grim future.
Fourteen-year-old Mehrigul dreams of school, but her reality is the family farm. With the threat of a factory looming, her only chance lies in crafting baskets for an American buyer. As storms rage and her hands bleed, Mehrigul battles her father's scorn and the ticking clock. Can her determination and artistry change her fate, or will time run out? Discover the gripping journey of resilience and hope.
“A haunting tale of artistic vision triumphing over adversity.” –KirkusReviews Things aren’t looking good for fourteen-year-old Mehrigul. She yearns to be in school, but she’s needed on the family farm. The longer she’s out of school, the more likely it is that she’ll be sent off to a Chinese factory . . . perhaps never to return. Her only hope is an American who buys one of her decorative baskets for a staggering sum and says she will return in three weeks for more. Mehrigul must brave storms, torn-up hands from working the fields, and her father’s scorn to get the baskets done. The stakes are high, and time is passing . . . will Mehrigul’s hard work be enough?
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