A review by bibliobrandie
The Pearl That Broke Its Shell by Nadia Hashimi

1.0

I think there is a time and a place for every book and this just wasn't the best time for me to read this book. In the 450 pages there was not one single moment of joy or hope. The pages are filled with physical abuse, child marriage, drug lords, self-immolation, a brutal stoning, rape, and more. The author wanted to write a story that portrayed the perils of being born a girl in Afghan society, and I guess she achieved that. The two main characters, Shekiba and Rahima, alternate chapters and live in two different time periods in Afghanistan but they both face brutality for being born a girl. Women in this book are cruel to one another and quick to sell one another out. The grim life of Afghan girls is vividly depicted but the setting was not vivid at all. I was also interested in more about the bacha posh custom, but it wasn't the main focus of the book. The main focus really was violence and brutality and after finishing the book I felt like I did not get a full story of Afghanistan. My fear is if you were only to read this "single story" of Afghanistan, you wouldn't have a full picture.