Nadia Hashimi

Afghan-American Nadia Hashimi's literary debut novel is a searing tale of powerlessness, fate, and the freedom to control one's own fate that combines the cultural flavor and emotional resonance of the works of Khaled Hosseini, Jhumpa Lahiri, and Lisa See. In Kabul, 2007, with a drug-addicted father and no brothers, Rahima and her sisters can only sporadically attend school, and can rarely leave the house. Their only hope lies in the ancient custom of bacha posh, which allows young Rahima to dress and be treated as a boy until she is of marriageable age. As a son, she can attend school, go to the market, and chaperone her older sisters. But Rahima is not the first in her family to adopt this unusual custom. A century earlier, her great-great grandmother, Shekiba, left orphaned by an epidemic, saved herself and built a new life the same way. Crisscrossing in time, The Pearl the Broke Its Shell interweaves the tales of these two women separated by a century who share similar destinies. But what will happen once Rahima is of marriageable age? Will Shekiba always live as a man? And if Rahima cannot adapt to life as a bride, how will she survive?

A Novel

The Pearl that Broke Its Shell

In Kabul, 2007, with a drug-addicted father and no brothers, Rahima and her sisters can only sporadically attend school and rarely leave the house. Their only hope lies in the ancient custom of bacha posh, which allows young Rahima to dress and be treated as a boy until she is of marriageable age.

The pearl that broke its shell

Mina

This story accurately captures the power of education for girls in Afghanistan and the role it plays in saving lives.

I wish I could give a higher ranking to this very moving story, but sadly I had a hard time getting into the story and getting accustomed to the (many) characters. The last quarter of the book is getting more thrilling but all and all, I've been quite disappointed.

Eloïse 

Stephanie Honour

If only the entire book had been as amazing as its last 1/4.

اللؤلؤة التي كسرت محارتها

Kholoud Ayman

Cindy Lieberman

** spoiler alert **
           3.5. Despite their dire circumstances, I enjoyed the format of the girls' parallel stories. The writing overall was clear, occasionally repetitive, yet mostly in character. The audiobook benefitted from the narrator's accents, evoking a foreign flavor throughout. 
Overall, interesting tales and an interesting look into the lives of young girls "sold" as wives or used to settle debts. In the Afghanistan of this book, there was no status in bearing daughters. Some were even "changed" to sons temporarily-- not as a gender-identity reassignment, but as a simple expediency for them to be able to earn money and go to school. Like A Thousand Splendid Suns, but not quite as lyrical.

Brigid Hogan

Parts were clumsy and didn't agree internally but an intriguing read about life in Afghanistan.

Jennifer

This is a fascinating and deeply emotional read detailing the ancient Afghan custom of bacha posh with a lot of nuance. The Pearl That Broke Its Shell revolves around the perspectives of two female narrators, Shekiba and Rahima, who are one century apart from each other. Their experiences vividly paint the cultural and political backdrop of Afghanistan: the oppression, the male-dominated society, the country at war - as well as the narrators' search for their freedom, choice, and hope. 

What I particularly enjoyed in The Pearl That Broke Its Shell:

+ The characters. I found both Rahim and Shekiba very well fleshed out through the novel. Especially the portrayal of their struggles (both internal and external). Through the mesmerising storytelling, their experiences as a bacha posh, and later on - as housewives, created a lasting emotional impact to me. Both Rahim's and Shekida's narratives are emotionally engaging and I could feel the devastation of their personal losses throughout the novel.

+ The cultural backdrop. Nadia Hashimi's unique vantage point provides a nuanced take on the Afghan culture. In addition to the bacha posh custom, I also loved how the author described the other cultural traditions in the book (it felt really authentic).

+ Central themes. I've mentioned these briefly at the start of the review. I really enjoyed how the alternating perspectives felt so continuous & seamless, and that's because Shekiba's stories are connected to Rahim's timeline through the commom themes.

What to be aware of / what could be better:

- This isn't a major issue, but I feel like the ending felt a bit ephemeral to me. On the upside, I do appreciate how thematically everything clicked together and made sense towards the end of the book, so I nevertheless felt pretty satisfied overall.

- While I wasn't overly bothered by the content, there are several potentially triggering content to be aware of in the book: abuse, illness, death, violence, gore, and injury. So I wouldn't recommend this to under 18's. Nevertheless, this is a splendid adult historical novel.

To summarise, The Pearl That Broke Its Shell is a surprisingl refreshing read. It authentically portrayed Afghan culture with a lot of nuance. I applaud Nadia Hashimi's impeccable storytelling skills: I found reading this a very emotionally engaging experience and I would highly recommend this to any historical fiction fans who want to read about non-Western cultures.

Carla Aquino

Having been in Afghanistan and seeing with my own eyes and hearing with my own ears how women are treated upsets my stomach. I don't understand after all these years and all the wars that this country has been through that the nation as a whole can be so ignorant. I pray that the women one day will become liberated. I pray that the men will start treating their beautiful women with respect and as equals. Most importantly I pray education, which is key, will be provided to all women and men who seek it. The nation as a whole needs to be educated!!! The Qu'ran does not preach to beat women. It does not teach that the woman must stay at home and be oppressed and should not be allowed to go to school. Extremists are allowed to take control of the mass population because of illiteracy and lack of education, which is how they want it. I hope that one day this will all change.

The Pearl that Broke Its Shell A Novel

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