Shalia stood by our front door, the bright geen metal rusting on the edges. She craned her neck. Parwin and I rounded the corner and saw the relief in her eyes. We couldn't be late again.Parwin shot me a look and we picked up our hurried pace. We did the best we could without running. Rubber soles slapped against the road and raised puffs of dusty smoke. The hems of our skirts flapped again our ankles. My head scarf clung to beads of sweat on my forehead. I guessed Parwin's was doing the same, since it hadn't yet blown away.
***
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?
***
Continuing with my ten year blog anniversary celebrations, here is another of my favourites of the decade. Today I am publishing my favourite read from 2015 and was originally posted on 23rd December of that year. I noted the price as costing £8.99 for the paperback that day. Today the same edition would cost £9.19 from the same retailer and is well worth the extra few pennies.I have updated the review a little so there is more information about the book and the author but essentially the review is as it appeared that day.
This book is a fantastic read and I loved it from start to finish.
Part of the reason for this is the authors clever use of moving backwards and forwards in telling the two stories of Rahima and Shekiba illustrating the similarities of these two women even though they are separated by three generations.
I had to keep reminding myself that Rahima's story is set fairly recently ( 2007) as the culture for these two women had not progressed from one to the other. It is a shocking story of abuse and oppression experienced by women in a society which is dictated by men, tradition and superstition.
The prose in this book is beautifully constructed and Ms Hashmini is an intelligent writer who can bring her book alive with her placement of words. She writes sensitively and allows the reader to understand for themselves the society in which these women live.
There are very few books that make me cry but I would challenge anyone who reads this book not to feel deeply moved by the plight of Rahima and Shekiba. It is a heartbreaking read but ultimately is inspiring and edifying.
I did, in fact, go on to read another of Ms. Hashimi's books, The Moon is Low, and you can read my review by clicking here.
ISBN: 978 0062244765
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Formats: e-book, hardback and paperback
No. of Pages: 480 (paperback)
About the Author:
Nadia Hashimi is a pediatrician turned novelist who draws on her Afghan culture to craft internationally bestselling books for adults as well as young readers. Her novels span generations and continents, taking on themes like forced migration, conflict, poverty, misogyny, colonialism, and addiction. She enjoys conversations with readers of all ages in libraries, book festivals, classrooms, and living rooms. Video calls with book clubs are a favorite hobby. With translations in seventeen languages, she’s connected with readers around the world.
She continues to serve on boards of organizations committed to educating and nurturing Afghanistan’s most vulnerable children and empowering the female leaders of tomorrow. She is a member of the US-Afghan Women’s Council and the Afghan-American Foundation.
Originally from New York, she and her husband live in Maryland with their four curious, rock star children, and Justice, the hungriest Rhodesian Ridgeback you’ve ever met.
(all opinions are my own)
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