The Pearl that Broke Its Shell: A Novel

In Kabul, 2007, Rahima and her four sisters live a poor life, with little school and often going without basic necessities; their father is an opium addict who rarely leaves the house, and the girls and their mother cannot go out alone. After hearing the story of Rahima’s great-aunt Shekiba, who struggled to make her own life by behaving as a boy, Rahima’s family decides to turn Rahima into a bacha posh, a girl who dresses as, acts as, and is treated as a boy. Their lives improve for awhile, until Rahima becomes a teenager and her father decides to marry her off. But the adjustment back to being a woman is a hard one, and Rahima struggles against her fate.

The Pearl That Broke Its Shell is destined for a place on the bestseller list. By delving into a curious tradition, this novel gives readers a unique look into Afghan culture in two different time periods. Alternating back and forth between Rahima’s life and Shekiba’s, readers will feel their hearts torn in different directions as these two women struggle against the fate of women in their country.