April 2016 Newsletter |

The Pearl that Broke Its Shell
By Nadia Hashimi

Although the lives of women and girls are restricted in Afghanistan, some are able to experience a great deal of freedom through the practice of bacha posh. It allows young girls to adopt male names, clothes, and behaviour until puberty. Modern families employ the practice in the hope that it will bring them good fortune and an actual son in the future.

The Pearl That Broke Its Shell tells the story of two girls who engage in the practice of bacha posh in different centuries. Rahima is a young girl in the 21st century. Without a brother to chaperone them, she and her sisters are unable to go to school. The tradition of bacha posh allows Rahima to become Rahim and take on the role of a son in the family. One hundred years earlier, Rahima’s ancestor Shekiba, an orphan with disfiguring burn on her face, adopted a male role becoming a guard for the king’s harem.

The novel tells the stories of both girls’ experiences in their male personas.

Also available as:
eAudiobook
eBook

Upcoming Reads

May 2016