Reviews - One Half from the East

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78 reviews for:

One Half from the East

Nadia Hashimi

3.9 AVERAGE

bubbelfia's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

kiwikathleen's review against another edition

4.0

I'd heard about the Afghan custom (I think I saw a small documentary) of 'turning' a girl into a boy for a few years. Apparently it's for luck - if there's a boy in the family, the woman is more likely to conceive a new boychild, or for making the father feel more worthy (or something). Well, we still have our gender issues in the Western world, so who am I to comment?!

I think this book is excellent for children to read. The voice is true and quite serious issues are tackled. It also tells well of a child's feelings. The girl is 10, and her father lost a leg in a bomb blast so they had to move back to the village he was born in and live under the charity of his family. So life is difficult for the whole family ...

gdawson's review

3.0

3.5

marielle68's review against another edition

3.0

informative

iamleighbot's review against another edition

5.0

Sometimes it really pays to search 'random order' and 'available now' on Libby! I was first grabbed by the cover art for this book and did a quick glance over the blurb. I had never been overly curious about the bacha posh practice in Afghanistan but something motivated me to listen to this story. I know the author has another novel for adults with a similar theme but I thought reading this middle grade story would be the best entry into the cultural phenom and I believe now that I was right.

Obayda's story is beautifully told, the narration felt like a well-spoken child and not like someone putting on airs. The tone was fitting, the pacing was easy to follow. I understood the character's motivations and messaging.

Rahim/Rahima is a friend to Obayd/Obayda in this story and it's her journey that is shared in Nadia Hashimi's novel 'The Pearly That Broke Its Shell'. Having read this story, I'm not sure if I want to follow Rahima further, as her journey takes her on a forked path from Obayda, but I am curious enough that the adult novel will go on my TBR and maybe call to me another day

ceilingsandfloores's review

4.0

3.5

shirleytupperfreeman's review against another edition

I've read books for adults about the Afghan practice of changing daughters into sons (by changing haircut, clothes and attitude) for honor and convenience but I've never read a children's book about it. This was a lovely story about 10 year old Obayda - the youngest of four daughters in a Kabul family. When the husband/father is seriously injured, the family moves to a remote village. In order to survive, the parents 'turn' Obayda into a boy for awhile. Obayda/Obayd's feelings and experiences before, during and after her time as a boy are beautifully written. Since Afghan culture is so different from ours, this would be a great, non-threatening way for kids to think about gender roles and stero-types in western culture. I read the ARC for this middle reader to be published in September.