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poweredbyjava's review against another edition
5.0
Loved this book, it picked up about 100 pages in and then I couldn’t put it down.
bookish_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-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
5.0
đź“– The Pearl That Broke Its Shell by Nadia Hashimi
Books are my escape and sanity. If a book breaks my heart into a million irreparable fragments and makes me vulnerable. It makes me feel human. That is the kind of book I would recommend. Because in this era imagining a world in which humans are enough to survive is laughable and entirely a dream one should soon wake up from. I was aware of how prominent child marriages can be. But 'Bacha Posh' was something that struck a nerve, I was shaken to my core to know how the existence of a male figure in a family even if it was a pre-teen young boy was essential. It was a hard pill to swallow. To go through the difficulties laid out by the society and family were explained in heavy detail. In the novel, the hardships of all the female characters have to go through. As a reader, my perspective was always on a loop I kept on processing throughout the book how every female character was diminished by the superiority of the men of their respective houses. Moreover, their depiction throughout the novel was commendable even if at some point they were weakened by the adversities they were forced to endure because of the stereotypical mindset in both the different timelines. It made you focus on things and it surely rattled your mind. I will not reveal the names or the details of the novel because I would love to recommend this book and embrace it in your way at your own pace. The Pearl That Broke Its Shell will always be close to my heart. And it is yet another book I will always be thankful to read. The beautified simplicity in this book kept me invested throughout. I did not have the nerve to end the book, yet, I wanted to know how everything would go by the end of it. And as a reader, it is a wonderful dilemma to be in. To process the book and wish for it to never end. That's what a masterpiece looks like.
—Love S
Books are my escape and sanity. If a book breaks my heart into a million irreparable fragments and makes me vulnerable. It makes me feel human. That is the kind of book I would recommend. Because in this era imagining a world in which humans are enough to survive is laughable and entirely a dream one should soon wake up from. I was aware of how prominent child marriages can be. But 'Bacha Posh' was something that struck a nerve, I was shaken to my core to know how the existence of a male figure in a family even if it was a pre-teen young boy was essential. It was a hard pill to swallow. To go through the difficulties laid out by the society and family were explained in heavy detail. In the novel, the hardships of all the female characters have to go through. As a reader, my perspective was always on a loop I kept on processing throughout the book how every female character was diminished by the superiority of the men of their respective houses. Moreover, their depiction throughout the novel was commendable even if at some point they were weakened by the adversities they were forced to endure because of the stereotypical mindset in both the different timelines. It made you focus on things and it surely rattled your mind. I will not reveal the names or the details of the novel because I would love to recommend this book and embrace it in your way at your own pace. The Pearl That Broke Its Shell will always be close to my heart. And it is yet another book I will always be thankful to read. The beautified simplicity in this book kept me invested throughout. I did not have the nerve to end the book, yet, I wanted to know how everything would go by the end of it. And as a reader, it is a wonderful dilemma to be in. To process the book and wish for it to never end. That's what a masterpiece looks like.
—Love S
noor987's review against another edition
5.0
Grâce à ce roman j’ai pu découvrir la vie des femmes auparavant en Afghanistan et leur souffrance mais il y a toujours une échappatoire ! Et j’ai pu découvrir la plume de Nadia Hashimi !!
mellabella's review against another edition
4.0
The Pearl that Broke Its Shell was the kind of read where you kept waiting for things to get better. It took until the end of the book. But, they did. Rahima is one of five sisters. She is the main point of view. Before she is married off at 13 as a child bride, her family takes part in a custom. She is bacha posh. She is allowed to dress up and live as a boy. It benefits the family. Rahima has more freedom. Her mother tries but Rahima's father is abusive and addicted to opium. Her mother has a sister named Shaima. She has a humped back, therefore not marriage material for most. Shaima is smart and was honestly one of my favorite characters in the book. She tries to look after her nieces. Shaima starts telling the girls the story of their distant relative (a legend that has been passed down) Shekiba. She is the second voice we hear in the story. Shekiba's face is disfigured. The result of a burn when she was little. After losing her siblings and parents, her mean, horrible grandmother takes her in as a glorified slave. She is then sold or given to one person after another. We alternate between her tale and Rahima's horrible existence with a warlord for a husband, his three other wives, and hateful mother in law. The stories alternate between Kabul during the Taliban rule and, a century earlier. On one hand you wonder how much abuse one person can take? On the other hand you can't help but to admire Rahima and Shekiba's spirit. It's the type of book that makes you turn the pages not because it's full of suspense. But because you wonder what the characters will discover about themselves next. They are definitely the kind of characters you root for.
scarletohhara's review against another edition
3.0
Like someone mentioned, one should read this only if one is in a frame of mind for this. This is a sad book, about reality of thousands of women in some parts of the world, and I don't need yet another book to remind nd that. The only reason I picked up p this book is because I was interested in the concept of bacha posh based on an article I read in The Guardian sometime ago. Sadly, this books just touched the concept on the surface and didn't go into what happens to the mental condition of the girls after they are turned back to girls.
But then, mental conditions and feelings are a first world problem when basic necessities are not being met.
Fairly a decent read, talks about the plight of Afghani women, spans across a century in an alternate narrative way.
But then, mental conditions and feelings are a first world problem when basic necessities are not being met.
Fairly a decent read, talks about the plight of Afghani women, spans across a century in an alternate narrative way.
spinstah's review against another edition
4.0
Initially I wasn't so sure about this, but it turned into one of those books you think about when you aren't reading it. I don't want to say too much, for fear of giving away interesting plot twists, but the novel it intertwines the stories of two Afghani women, Rahima and an ancestor, Shekiba. Rahima is a young girl who is forced to marry a man much older than herself. Her aunt tells her the story of Shekiba, who is also separated from her family. Shekiba's story sustains Rahima, and ultimately guides many of the decisions she makes in her life, including the last, and biggest, one. I very much enjoyed this and I recommend it. Note that there are some passages that are a little difficult to read (mostly domestic violence), but none if it is rendered graphically.
I have an ARC of this that I picked up at a, so if you are local & interested in reading it I'll be glad to pass it on.
I have an ARC of this that I picked up at a, so if you are local & interested in reading it I'll be glad to pass it on.
allisonhensler's review against another edition
5.0
Great story of two women, written almost as two books inside one.
jlosaw's review against another edition
4.0
I found myself thoroughly engrossed in both stories and loved how they were intertwined.
brb_reads's review against another edition
5.0
Would like to own this one and would recommend to someone wanting to learn about a different culture.
dozylocal's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars. Two parallel stories about a child-bride and her great-great-grandmother, both set in Afghanistan. Horrifying that women are still treated like that in these modern times. And sad that they were on a path towards education and equal rights which was then rewound back to darker times and attitudes.