The Pearl that Broke Its Shell – Nadia Hashimi
Book Group 1 – March 2020
The Pearl That Broke Its Shell by Nadia Hashimi tells a story of a young girl in present day: Rahima. As she goes through various hardships,her Khala Shaima tells her the story of her great, great grandmother,Shekiba whose story bears resemblance to Rahima’s.
The story of Rahima,who fights to find her destiny in contemporary Afghanistan, is set against the story of Shekiba, who faced similar challenges during the period immediately after the country was granted independence from Britain.
This novel highlights the struggle of women characters-- for freedom and the struggle to unshackle the chains of patriarchal norms and also depicts women as active members of the society who are aware of their subalternity and try to break their shell.
Nabila Ahmad