The Pearl That Broke Its Shell Audiobook By Nadia Hashimi cover art

The Pearl That Broke Its Shell

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The Pearl That Broke Its Shell

By: Nadia Hashimi
Narrated by: Mozhan Navabi
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About this listen

Afghan-American Nadia Hashimi's literary debut novel 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.

In Kabul, 2007, with a drug-addicted father and no brothers, Rahima and her sisters can only sporadically attend school, and can rarely leave the house. Their only hope lies in the ancient custom of bacha posh, which allows young Rahima to dress and be treated as a boy until she is of marriageable age. As a son, she can attend school, go to the market, and chaperone her older sisters.

But Rahima is not the first in her family to adopt this unusual custom. A century earlier, her great-great grandmother, Shekiba, left orphaned by an epidemic, saved herself and built a new life the same way.

Crisscrossing in time, The Pearl the Broke Its Shell interweaves the tales of these two women separated by a century who share similar destinies. But what will happen once Rahima is of marriageable age? Will Shekiba always live as a man? And if Rahima cannot adapt to life as a bride, how will she survive?

©2014 Nadia Hashimi (P)2024 William Morrow Paperbacks
Destiny Historical Fiction Women's Fiction World Literature
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What listeners say about The Pearl That Broke Its Shell

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The miserable lives of Afghan women

Very well written and the flow of the story is very smooth. Enjoyed it a lot

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I rarely read but I read this and listened to it twice now:)

This book is a must read. Between my sobs and my acknowledgment of my own privilege, I feel I’m a better person after understanding this story.

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strength and heartbreak

this unique story painted pictures in my mind about a world I thankfully do not know. I feel there are many lessons to take away.

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Beautiful story of triumph

Well written. Though the narrative slips between two centuries the flow is overall smooth. I found myself truly caring about the plight of the characters. There were a couple of times I felt it was close to predictable but even then there were aspects and twists that I had not seen coming. This is an amazing debut novel.

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An insight into the lives of Afghan women

Well written and gripping storylines. Beautiful performance too by the narrator, but at some instances where she lowered her voice it was too low and I struggled to hear.

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