Parvana (Saara Chaudry), a little girl living in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime, goes with her father to the market to earn money to buy food for their family. Women are not allowed out in public, so her mother and older sister stay home, but Parvana tries to keep a low profile in order to not attract attention.

Unfortunately, some members of the Taliban take offense at her presence in the market square and take her father away to prison for breaking the rules. As the food supply for the family, including her baby brother, dwindles, Parvana finally has to cut her hair in order to disguise herself as a boy so she can make money for food before they all starve to death.