Think for just a moment. You stepped on a land mine when you were on your way to school. Well, Farah Ahmedi doesn't have to imagine that, it was a prominent moment in her life. Farah is the author of The Story of My Life: An Afghan Girl on the Other Side of the Sky writing about her the past, okay present, and hopes for the future. Farah changed my outlook on life, and can change many more.

The day Farah stepped on the land mine she overslept before school. So she took a short cut through a field, where the mine was. After the 40 painful days in the Afghan hospital she went to Germany for better treatment. Afterwards, Farah's life started to spin rapidly down. A rocket, launched by the Taliban hit her house killing her father and sisters. When the Taliban started drafting boys in their army Farah's mother decided to let her boys flee (otherwise they would be in the army that killed her husband and daughters). They escaped, although nobody ever heard from them again. Then a letter from her mom's cousin invited them to Pakistan. They arrived but couldn't live with her due to overcrowding. They became refugees, then slaves. For some reason starving, being a servant, and treated harshly only made Farah try harder to make things better. Subsequently, they heard about the program allowing 1000 people to go to America.

Farah, now living in America has to go through the pains of a hard past. She was one of the thousands that wrote to the “Good Morning America” contest. She won, and her book is the outcome of the contest. Farah now helps Adopt-A-Minefield which is a campaign to resolve land mine crisis.

While reading her memoir I could connect to her world. My father has deployed to Afghanistan many times. He brought back stories but not emotions. Through Farah's words I not only saw her world but felt the emotions of an Afghan girl. It is descriptive enough to feel as if Farah is sitting with you in your living room, telling the story over tea. I would recommend this autobiography to teens seeking powerful words, hard work, heartbreak, heroism and the adventure in between.