Shadow

Aman and his mother, along with the soldiers and various villagers, congregate in a house in the village. The villagers give Aman and his mother clean, dry clothes and tea. Through the interpreter, Aman tells Sergeant Brodie their story and explains how they met Shadow.

According to Sergeant Brodie, Shadow’s real name is Polly, and she is the best improvised explosive device (IED) detector of all the dogs in the Army. He says that the bomb they just disarmed was her 76th. Sergeant Brodie was Polly’s handler. He explains that 14 months ago, while out on patrol, their unit was ambushed by Taliban fighters. After an hour-long fire fight, during which Corporal Banford was killed, Polly went missing. They assumed that she had been killed because the Taliban target the Army’s sniffer dogs. Sergeant Brodie tells Aman that he is going to be a hero to the soldiers back at the base for rescuing Polly and helping them find the bomb; he says that Aman will also be a hero to his own daughter, who loves the dog.

Sergeant Brodie carries Aman piggy-back all the way back to the base due to a painful blister that has worsened during Aman’s days of walking through the desert. As the sergeant predicted, Aman and his mother are treated like heroes at the base. Aman’s foot is infected, so the doctors give him antibiotics and order him to stay off his feet while he heals. During this week of bedrest, Sergeant Brodie teaches Aman to play Monopoly.

The soldiers on the base take pictures with Aman and Shadow to send back home. Aman even gets to see Sergeant Brodie’s wife and daughter on a video call. They thank him for rescuing Shadow. However, Aman begins to worry: He knows that Shadow is an army dog and that she will not be able to come with him. Shadow seems to know this as well. While she plays with the soldiers, she always comes back to Aman.

Sergeant Brodie visits on the eve of Aman’s departure. He promises Aman that if he ever has any trouble in England, he can call on him. He also reassures him that he can visit Shadow in England. However, Aman knows that the sergeant is just trying to make him feel better, and he cries when he leaves. The soldiers pool together money to help Aman and his mother on their way to England. Aman spends the last evening on the base hollowing out the heels of their shoes to hide the money.

The next day, as they depart, the soldiers gather to see them off and cheer for them. Sergeant Brodie gives Aman their regimental badge, saying that he earned it. He reassures Aman that he can look him up in England and visit Polly. Aman says nothing as he pets Polly for the last time. He does not want to cry in front of the other soldiers.

The soldiers drove Aman and his mother to the nearest town and put them on a bus. Aman looks at the regimental badge for the first time: It is a silver star, stamped with the image of a castle and the words “Royal Anglian.” Aman takes it everywhere he goes.

Back in the present, Aman’s voice is quiet as he wraps up narrating his story to Grandpa. He does not look at Grandpa and instead looks down at the table, as if he had to relive all the events he recounted. When he abruptly leaves, Grandpa suspects that Aman does not want to see him cry. Grandpa waits, thinking he might cry. He thinks of the injustices that Aman and his mother have faced and begins to wonder if there is something he can do to help them. Aman’s story has awakened the journalist in him, and he wants to know the whole story.

To Grandpa’s surprise, Aman returns with his mother. She has been crying and is still upset. With Aman acting as a translator, she tells Grandpa that she cannot return to Afghanistan. The Taliban are everywhere, and they will torture and kill her. She begs Grandpa to help them stay. England is their home; they have lived there six years.

Grandpa agrees to help, but he warns them that he is not a lawyer. He does not know what he can do. To start with, he asks Aman to continue his story. He says that he needs to know everything if he can be of any help at all. Aman looks reluctant, as though dreading reliving that part of his life.

Aman resumes his story. He and his mother end up in a metal transport container with other refugees in their quest to escape Afghanistan. The fixer warns them to be quiet, saying that they will all go to prison if they are caught.

There are 12 other refugees in all: several Iranians, a Pakistani family, and an old couple from Kabul. Ahmed, a little boy from Pakistan, quickly befriends Aman. He shows Aman his red toy train, and Aman quietly tells him about his silver star badge. For a while, they laugh and play. Then, the food and water run out.

Aman does not know how long they are in the container. It is freezing at night and stifling hot during the day. The only relief he feels is when he is asleep. The other refugees try guessing where they are. Most of them are trying to get to England. The old couple has already tried and been deported twice, but they are determined to get to their son in England. Eventually, they all stop talking. The only sounds are crying and praying. It feels like there is no air to breathe. To make matters worse, Ahmed keeps vomiting. Aman will never forget the smell. Aman thinks he loses consciousness at some point because he does not remember anything until days later.

When Aman comes to, they are all being dragged from the container. He thinks he nearly died. Ahmed, however, is not so lucky. His mother’s wails fill the air. They bury Ahmed, and his mother gives Aman the little boy’s toy train because he was like a brother to Ahmed. Aman still has it on his windowsill at home. He often dreams about Ahmed playing with Shadow and Sergeant Brodie.

The rest of the journey passes in a blur. Aman is very ill. They finally exit the shipping container in Turkey. There are more journeys in trucks and one by sea, and they even cross mountains on horseback, but nothing is as terrible as the shipping container. The refugees get to know each other, which makes the journey easier. Everyone takes a liking to Aman and looks out for him, ensuring that he has enough to eat and drink. He thinks they do not want to see another child die.

The most dangerous part of their journey is crossing the English Channel. Around this time, Aman’s mother has her first panic attack. The old couple takes care of her and decide that they will help her and Aman get to England. Most fixers cannot be trusted, and immigration enforcement agents are becoming stricter. The old couple has a plan and wants to help them: They say that they are Afghans, “All brothers and sisters together” (68).

For a while, they stay in a refugee camp in France. They have food and shelter, and they share a tent with the old couple. Aman plays soccer with dozens of other kids in the camp. The old couple has a mobile phone, so they are able to communicate with Uncle Mir.

They escape from camp one night through a hole in the fence. After one final, tense ride in a trailer, they make it to England. They meet Mir and his wife, Mina, at a gas station and say goodbye to the old couple. The next day, Mir takes them to a police station to register as asylum seekers. Aman and his mother are happy, but they are not yet safe.