The novel Wanting Mor, by Rukhsana Khan is a gripping tale of life lessons. The story takes place through the eyes of a traumatized Afghan woman named Jameela. Jameela begins to discover and understand the themes and morals of life after witnessing the death of her loving mother, Mor. As the novel progresses, numerous themes emerge throughout the novel. This powerful novel depicts themes of trust, tranquility, and righteousness in the cruel, cold-hearted world in which Jameela lives. The concept of standing up for oneself plays a key theme in the novel, Wanting Mor. The novel opens with an illustration of Jameela, a fearful and obedient girl, influenced by her religious beliefs. As we read in the novel: “'Don't tell me what I am! I'll tell you!'... My face is hot. How could I have been so careless? So disrespectful. Maybe I'm tired too” (Rukhsana 29). These statements follow Mor's death and the way Jameela's father Baba reacts to the situation by humiliating everyone, including his own daughter. Jameela tries to calm her father in an attempt to relax him by informing him that he is simply tired. Despite this, her father believes this is offensive as he needs to be softened by his young daughter, which leads Jameela to believe that it is her cause. She is also described as distrustful because she sticks to anyone regardless of their feelings and emotions. This is illustrated in chapters three to nine, which begin with Baba telling Jameela that they are leaving their village to go to the picturesque city known as Kabul, regardless of Jameela's consideration in the process. Next, Jameela engages with the multiple Khalaas, a respectable term for or… middle of paper… the arduous work she undertakes, strenuously step by step to find her voice to say no. Likewise, the tranquility worsens as the ordeal and her anger increase, but she calms down slowly and carefully. Of the three, righteousness has a greater impact on representing a life lesson through work, as it continually strives to gain satisfaction from others. This stands out from the rest, as it is a more prevalent theme, as well as a more prominent moral within Wanting Mor, with the statement: “If you can't be beautiful you should at least be good. People will appreciate it”, always predominant. Since these themes can be different from each other, they all demonstrate how being assertive, calm, and courteous can go a long way in the book as well as in life. Work cited Khan, Rukhsana. Wanting Mor. Toronto, ON: Groundwood Books, 2009. 190. Print.