The Pearl that Broke Its Shell : A Novel

Interesting, learning of old cultures. Amazing but let's continue reading

An emotionally moving tale about two women in Afghanistan and how gender roles affect their lives. Rahima, the third of five daughters, becomes a bacha posh, dressing and posing as a boy so that she can go to the market, work side jobs, and go to school. She enjoys the freedom she is allowed as Rahim, but her drug-addicted father makes a decision that alters her life. One of the few comforts is the story of her ancestor, Shekiba, who was badly burned and disfigured as a child. After losing her mother and her brothers to a cholera epidemic, Shekiba takes care of her home and her land until her father dies. Her father's family sells Shekiba to be a servant. She is soon sent to the palace as a gift, where she joins other women guarding the king's harem.