The Pearl that Broke Its Shell: A Novel

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As a consequence for staying a bacha posh for too long and for disrespecting her mother, Rahima is married off to Abdul Khaliq, a warlord to whom Arif, Rahima's father, feels indebted. Part of the deal is for Rahima's two older sisters, Parwin and Shahla, to be married off as well to Abdul Khaliq's cousins. They are married off on the same day, much to the despair of their mother, other sisters, and Khala Shaima. Forced marriages of very young girls,domestic violence,a warlord and the happenings in a king's harem make for a compelling mix. Still, it’s hard not to be inspired by the image we are left with at the end of the novel as Her Majesty Queen Soraya Tarzi, newly appointed education minister, lifts off her chador and says, “Do you think, however, that our nation from the outset needs only men to serve it? Women should also take their part as women did in the early years of our nation and Islam. From their examples we must learn that we must all contribute toward the development of our nation and this cannot be done without being equipped with knowledge.” The culture allows boys to make choices in their lives and even go to school while girls can only do so at the pleasure and convenience of their male relatives (Hashimi 73). In the historical exposition, the reader sees how Shaima was discriminated because of her deformity. “The clan did not want to be associated with them and the village had no interest in a scarred old man or his even more scarred daughter-son” (Hashimi 20). Even worse, Shekiba, who lost her looks in a freak accident as an infant is dehumanized, and regularly insulted, proving that in this particular society, women are only as good as their beauty. “Her cousins came up with twisted names for her. “Shola face,” as her skin resembled lumpy rice” (Hashimi 17). Conclusion

Shekiba's plan is ruined when one evening, Fatima, one of the women of the harem, falls ill. As the other women attempt to move Fatima into Benafsha's room, the girls discover that Benafsha has been having an affair when they see a man's hat lying haphazardly on the floor. Ghafoor goes to tell the king while the other women look after Fatima. Upon her return, she brings the news that the king has asked for Shekiba. Rahima says that Khala Shaima’s story about Bibi Shekiba transformed her, and indeed, this is a novel about transformation. In what ways, besides dressing as males, do Rahima and Shekiba transform themselves? Afghan-American Nadia Hashimi’s literary debut novel, The Pearl that Broke Its Shell is a searing tale of powerlessness, fate, and the freedom to control one’s own fate that combines the cultural flavor and emotional resonance of the works of Khaled Hosseini, Jhumpa Lahiri, and Lisa See. E esta é a história de duas bacha posh que se bateram pela liberdade — arriscaram, sofreram, lutaram, e transitaram da Sobrevivência para a Vida!... The detailed and rich prose ensure that the reader walks away with a much deeper understanding for a country we only see through the constant wars and upheavals in the media.Rahima bears a son, whom she names Jahangir. The fact that he is a boy keeps Abdul Khaliq's beatings to a minimum, however they are not absent. Rahima believes Abdul Khaliq cares special for Jahangir, since she sees Abdul Khaliq having special moments with Jahangir that he does not seem to have with his other sons. I was not impressed by the writing and the dialog did not seem to add anything to the story. It could have been an ok read, maybe more, but I did not have the patience. I can read a book where the writing does not appeal to me if the plot is addictive but it was not the case here.

I thought,this is yet another story about the miseries of Afghan women and I have read plenty of this sort of stuff before. The women’s journeys aren’t all suffering, however. Rahima, especially, experiences glimpses of joy (with the birth of her son) and hope (a taste of freedom when she accompanies her husband’s first wife to Kabul as the assistant to a member of Parliament) amidst the sorrow. “I had already experienced her double life, living as a boy,” Hashimi writes of Rahima comparing herself to Shekiba. “I wanted to see the places she’d seen. But I wanted more than she had too. I didn’t want to be a pawn the way she had been, passed from one set of hands to another. I wanted to be bolder. I wanted to make my naseeb, not have it handed to me…. She looked for chances to make her own naseeb. I, her great-great-granddaughter, could do the same.”

During one of her visits, Khala Shaima suggests to Rahima that she ask Badriya if Rahima may accompany Badriya to Kabul when Badriya goes to the parliament sessions. Rahima wonders to her Khala Shaima what would be the point, just like she wonders what the point was of the little education she received. Khala Shaima insists that Rahima's education will serve her well in the future, and tells her that Kabul would be a good experience. Rahima works up the courage to ask Badriya if she can accompany her under the guise of being her assistant, since Badriya can't read and Rahima can. The Pearl That Broke Its Shell," tells the story of a young girl in present day, Rahima. As she goes through various hardships, her Khala (aunt) Shaima tells Rahima the story of her great-great-grandmother, whose story bears resemblance to Rahima's. In the novel, Rahima's story is told in the present day; Shekiba's story is told as it happened in the late 1890s and early 1900s. Since the girls' stories are told concurrently, in this study guide, both stories are discussed in the present tense.