Shadow

Shadow (2011), a middle grade novel by Michael Morpurgo, follows Aman, a young boy from war-torn Afghanistan. He escapes from the violence perpetrated by the Taliban with the help of a bomb-sniffing dog named Shadow. The novel explores the effects of war on children and the struggles of refugees in Western countries. However, Shadow also demonstrates the power of human resilience and the way that the bonds of friendship can work miracles. 

Morpurgo is celebrated as one of the United Kingdom’s most beloved children’s authors, and he has over 150 books in publication. He was named the third Waterstone Children’s Laureate (2003-2005), and his novels have won numerous literary awards, including the Children’s Book Award for Kensuke’s Kingdom (1999), Private Peaceful (2003), and Shadow. In 2018, he was awarded the Eleanor Farjeon Award for Outstanding Contribution to Children’s Literature.

This guide refers to the Nook e-book edition from Favourite Dog Stories: Shadow, Cool!, and Born to Run.

Content Warning: The source material and guide feature depictions of illness, death, child death, racism, physical abuse, emotional abuse, child abuse, bullying, animal cruelty, mental illness, and suicidal ideation.

Plot Summary

Matt, a 14-year-old from Manchester, is visiting his grandfather, whom he addresses as “Grandpa.” On the first evening of the visit, they stargaze together by a cherry tree that Matt’s deceased grandmother planted. By their side is Grandpa’s old spaniel named Dog. Matt shares troubling news: His best friend, Aman Khan, an Afghan asylum seeker, has been imprisoned with his mother at Yarl’s Wood Detention Centre. Grandpa, moved by Matt’s distress and memories of his late wife’s advocacy for detainees, resolves to help. He arranges a visit to Yarl’s Wood. 

Inside the facility, which looks like a prison, Grandpa finds that Aman and his mother are deeply affected by their detention. Aman’s mother, especially, has trauma-induced panic attacks. Grandpa has brought a Monopoly game to lift Aman’s spirits, and he gives Aman a photo of Matt’s family with Dog. This prompts a mysterious emotional reaction from Aman, who mutters, “Shadow,” and runs off. When he returns, he shows Grandpa a picture that his soccer team sent him of them holding a banner that reads, “WE WANT YOU BACK” (23). At his mother’s behest, Aman recounts their harrowing journey from war-torn Afghanistan to the United Kingdom six years ago. 

Born among the Hazara people in the cliffside caves of Bamiyan, Aman’s early life is happy despite their hardships. However, the relative peace is shattered when the Taliban return and kill his father for working as an interpreter for the American armed forces. Aman is forced to care for his grieving mother and grandmother, stealing food to survive. When he is caught and beaten for thievery, his mother lies to protect him, saying that she is the culprit. This leads to her arrest and torture by the police force, which is unofficially controlled by the Taliban and therefore targets Aman’s family. 

Amid this chaos, a stray spaniel appears outside Aman’s home. Aman feeds, cares for, and bonds deeply with the dog, despite the objections of his family and community. When Aman’s uncle Mir in England offers to help them escape, Aman’s grandmother insists that they go without her since she wouldn’t survive the journey. However, Aman’s mother refuses to leave her behind. After his grandmother’s tragic death during a police raid, Aman and his mother set off for Kabul with the dog.

At a police checkpoint outside Kabul, the officers target them for being from the Hazara community and rob them of all their money and jewelry. The dog courageously tries to defend them from the corrupt police officers, and even Aman’s mother is moved. She says that the dog is like a shadow that never leaves them, prompting Aman to name the dog “Shadow.” They arrive in Kabul with no money and are nearly trapped by one of Uncle Mir’s contacts who demands that they give him Shadow to use in dog fights. After escaping through a window, they make it to Kandahar, thanks to a kind Hazara truck driver. They then set off toward the Iranian border. In the desert, they endure starvation, exhaustion, and suspicion from villagers. However, Shadow remains loyal and alert, always running ahead and waiting for them to catch up. 

At a critical moment, she detects a hidden landmine near a road just before a troop of British soldiers arrive. Aman, realizing what she has found, runs toward the soldiers, warning them of the danger. One of the British soldiers, Sergeant Brodie, recognizes Shadow and calls her “Polly.” He says that Shadow is a highly trained army dog who went missing in battle months earlier. Grateful to Aman for pointing out the bomb and reuniting him with Polly, Sergeant Brodie and his unit take Aman and his mother to the British Army base, where they are treated as heroes. During their stay, Aman bonds with the soldiers, especially Brodie, who teaches him to play Monopoly. However, their time in the camp is bittersweet: Aman realizes that he has to part with Shadow. As he and his mother prepare to continue their journey to England, Brodie gives Aman a silver star badge from his regiment and promises that they will meet again.

The next stage of their journey is painful. After meeting with a fixer who takes the last of their money, promising to get them through Iran, Aman and his mother are put in a metal shipping container with other refugees, including a young Pakistani boy named Ahmed. Aman befriends Ahmed, but Ahmed dies of illness and dehydration during the journey. After enduring freezing nights, sweltering days, starvation, and illness, the refugees eventually reach Turkey and then spend some time recuperating in a refugee camp in France. With an old Afghan couple’s help, Aman and his mother finally make it to England, where they are reunited with Uncle Mir and register as asylum seekers.

Aman and his mother build a life in England, despite the ongoing uncertainty of their asylum status. Aman thrives in school and soccer, makes close friends like Matt, and loves life in Manchester. However, their peace is shattered when a letter orders their deportation to Afghanistan, despite clear evidence of the danger they fled. Immigration officers arrest them and detain them in Yarl’s Wood. The conditions are bleak, and Aman’s mother’s mental health has deteriorated. By the time Grandpa visits, they have already narrowly missed being deported once.

Determined to fight back, Matt and Grandpa launch a public protest to release Aman and his mother, starting with just the two of them and Dog outside the detention center. Grandpa writes an article for his old newspaper, and the editor agrees to publish it on the front page. Thanks to Grandpa’s published article and Matt’s determination, the protest grows, drawing friends, teachers, and journalists. The group stands outside Yarl’s Wood, despite rain and increasing police activity. However, their hopes are dashed when an immigration officer announces that Aman and his mother were put on a plane for Kabul that morning.

Sergeant Brodie arrives with Shadow and news: A volcanic eruption has grounded all flights, and thanks to Brodie’s intervention, Aman and his mother are no longer being deported. The crowd erupts in cheers as Aman and his mother join them, reuniting with their friends and Shadow.