The release date for the English version of 'The Pearl That Broke Its Shell' by
Nadia Hashimi is May 2014. If you enjoy this novel, it is available for buy as a paperback from Barnes & Noble or Indigo, as an ebook on the Amazon Kindle store, or as an audiobook on Audible.
American Afghani Nadia Hashimi's literary first book, The Pearl that Broke Its Shell, blends the emotional resonance and cultural flavor of Khaled Hosseini, Jhumpa Lahiri, and Lisa See into a devastating narrative of fate, impotence, and the ability to decide one's own destiny.
Rahima and her sisters can seldom leave the home and can only go to school sometimes in Kabul in 2007 since their father is a heroin addict and they don't have any brothers. The old tradition of bacha posh, which permits little Rahima to dress and be treated like a guy until she reaches marriageable age, is their last chance. She may go to the market, go to school, and watch her elder sisters since she is a boy.
However, Rahima is not the first member of her family to follow this peculiar tradition. Her great-aunt Shekiba, who was left orphaned by an epidemic a century before, persevered and started over in the same manner.
The stories of these two ladies, who were separated by a century yet had similar destiny, are woven together by a crisscrossing of time in The Pearl the Broke Its Shell. However, once Rahima reaches marriageable age, what will happen? Will Shekiba remain a man for eternity? And how can Rahima make it through if she can't adjust to life as a bride?