what is the main conflict?

One of the main conflicts in the story Miriam's inner conflict and the way she believes herself to be rejected by the rest of the world. The Taliban is also a conflict.

There is also a conflict between the modern, more Western-influenced Afghanistan, and the older, more traditional Afghanistan. We can see this within the city of Kabul, where the 'modern women' were a 'different breed' to Mariam. Instead of burqas, like she wears, they wear makeup and high heels and short skirts, sometimes without even covering their heads. Being a 'different breed' suggests that they are so different, they come from a different species. Rasheed speaks of 'modern' Kabul residents with deep contempt and resentment, and the Taliban's ruthless outlawing of the media and schools for women (two modern, West-based institutions) also shows this conflict between the old and the new.