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lediamond4's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I struggled with this book more than I wanted to. The premise was promising, and I did learn quite a bit. I had never heard of the custom “bacha posh” and I was fascinated by that part. I thought that both of the protagonists, Rahima and Shekiba, were strong and likable. I felt their joys and their sorrows. There were parts of this book where I felt entirely engaged.
Unfortunately I really had a difficult time with the writing. It would have benefitted from heavier editing. It was a lengthy book and decent chunks of it failed to further the plot OR develop characters.
Unfortunately I really had a difficult time with the writing. It would have benefitted from heavier editing. It was a lengthy book and decent chunks of it failed to further the plot OR develop characters.
wamz's review against another edition
4.0
Very well written. But allow me to say that it will be a very long time before I read anything from Afghanistan again. I am traumatized by the experiences the characters endured. It felt like I was reading 'A thousand splendid sons' again. The hoping and praying the women would make it to the end of the book alive. The book was good, but I hope I will recover.
lsparrow's review against another edition
2.0
I felt that this book was written for a western audience - many of the descriptions and use of language assume that the reader has no connection or knowledge of Afganistan. I wanted something more than this. also the story although tragic was too neatly tied together.
megangraff's review against another edition
3.0
So much violence but I sadly think it is quite possibly an accurate portrayal of the treatment of women in parts of Afghanistan (and too many other parts of the world as well).
donnalisa's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
eudijo's review against another edition
5.0
This book was hard to pick up because of all of the abuse the main characters suffer and hard to put down because I was desperate for them to find some joy and peace. It sat on my bookshelf for five months before I actually picked it up to read, and I wish I’d picked it up sooner!
jgintrovertedreader's review against another edition
4.0
Rahima lives in a family of girls. Her father was a fighter for the local war lord in their Afghan village and he's now addicted to opium. With custom demanding that the girls never leave the house without a male family member to escort them, they're struggling. When Rahima's aunt comes to visit, bearing stories of an ancestor, Shekiba, who dressed as a bacha posh and made her way through life as a boy, the answer to their problems appears. Rahima's hair is cut and she becomes Rahim, going to school, running errands, and supporting her family as best she can.
My reading doesn't venture outside my own culture as often as it should. When I read books like this, I always resolve to do better and then I don't. I need these reminders of how blessed I am in my life and how difficult it is for others who didn't happen to be born here.
Reading about Rahima's years as a bacha posh was pretty easy. Life was better for her and her family. But afterwards... oh my gosh. Things just got worse and worse for her. But this is daily life for a lot of women in a lot of countries. How does life change for them? It always seems like change has to come from within but with this kind of oppression, how does that happen? Even that's addressed a little bit toward the end of the book.
The secondary narrative tells of Rahima's ancestor Shekiba. Shekiba may have had an even harder life than Rahima. She's completely alone with only an extended family that seems to hate her for her scarred face. I usually prefer one story over another in a dual narrative like this, but I was almost relieved when the point of view switched. I needed a break from the bleakness of the character's life I was reading about at that moment!
I wasn't entirely happy with the ending. I felt like I had as much closure as I needed for Rahima but I would have liked to have known more about Shekiba. I really felt like her story just stopped.
I read an early copy of the book and it could have used a little more editing. I'm sure most of that will be cleaned up by the time everything is finalized. Overlooking that kind of thing, this book was an excellent first novel and I expect the author to get even better as she continues writing.
If you're interested in stories of other cultures, I do recommend that you give this one a try. It's emotionally difficult but an important story to be shared.
Thanks to the publisher for offering me early access to the book.
My reading doesn't venture outside my own culture as often as it should. When I read books like this, I always resolve to do better and then I don't. I need these reminders of how blessed I am in my life and how difficult it is for others who didn't happen to be born here.
Reading about Rahima's years as a bacha posh was pretty easy. Life was better for her and her family. But afterwards... oh my gosh. Things just got worse and worse for her. But this is daily life for a lot of women in a lot of countries. How does life change for them? It always seems like change has to come from within but with this kind of oppression, how does that happen? Even that's addressed a little bit toward the end of the book.
The secondary narrative tells of Rahima's ancestor Shekiba. Shekiba may have had an even harder life than Rahima. She's completely alone with only an extended family that seems to hate her for her scarred face. I usually prefer one story over another in a dual narrative like this, but I was almost relieved when the point of view switched. I needed a break from the bleakness of the character's life I was reading about at that moment!
I wasn't entirely happy with the ending. I felt like I had as much closure as I needed for Rahima but I would have liked to have known more about Shekiba. I really felt like her story just stopped.
I read an early copy of the book and it could have used a little more editing. I'm sure most of that will be cleaned up by the time everything is finalized. Overlooking that kind of thing, this book was an excellent first novel and I expect the author to get even better as she continues writing.
If you're interested in stories of other cultures, I do recommend that you give this one a try. It's emotionally difficult but an important story to be shared.
Thanks to the publisher for offering me early access to the book.
kitsuneheart's review against another edition
4.0
It's been a couple month since I finished this book, so I had to refresh myself about the plot. I pretty vividly recalled the plotline of Shekiba, the woman from the early 20th century who eventually became a guard of a harem. But Rahima had escaped me. I recalled she was a bacha posh, a young girl who functions as a boy for the benefit of her family. But I'd forgotten the rest.
Then I saw the word "warlord" in a review and it all came back, harshly. This is an often uncomfortable book, but sadly realistic. And, while it deals with sexual abuse and the subjugation of women, it still manages to go so many places, and through many eras. Seeing Afghanistan develop its democracy, and from the point of view of women inside of the parliament, was fascinating.
Shekiba's complete functioning as a man seemed almost unbelievable, given the problems the U.S. is having about just our bathrooms, but this isn't the first book about gender identity issues in the Persia Gulf. If you want another, check out "If You Could Be Mine" by Sara Farizan.
Then I saw the word "warlord" in a review and it all came back, harshly. This is an often uncomfortable book, but sadly realistic. And, while it deals with sexual abuse and the subjugation of women, it still manages to go so many places, and through many eras. Seeing Afghanistan develop its democracy, and from the point of view of women inside of the parliament, was fascinating.
Shekiba's complete functioning as a man seemed almost unbelievable, given the problems the U.S. is having about just our bathrooms, but this isn't the first book about gender identity issues in the Persia Gulf. If you want another, check out "If You Could Be Mine" by Sara Farizan.
rimnaaaazzzzzzz's review against another edition
2.0
I had high VERY hopes for the book after I read One half from the east. It felt like this was more or less the same story. Not disappointed. But not what I was expecting.