Title: The Pearl That Broke Its Shell
Author: Nadia Hashimi
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Historical Fiction, Afghan Literature
Year of Publication: 2014
again. Fate finds it easier to retrace its treads.
About Novel
Nadia’s debut novel, ‘The Pearl that Broke its Shell’, tells the stories of Rahima, a young girl growing up in Afghanistan, and her great-great-grandmother Bibi Shekiba, alternating between their perspectives. The book explores the idea that an individual’s destiny, or “Naseeb”, is not predetermined and can be shaped by their actions. The novel also sheds light on the challenges faced by women in Afghanistan during times of war, highlighting the complex relationships between female characters.
Ultimately, the book tells the tale of two determined young women who strive to overcome the immense obstacles that their fate has placed in their path. Even though they are millennia separated in time, they are each compelled to spend a portion of their life pretending to be a male.
Hashimi utilizes historical accounts to educate contemporary women on how to gain self-dependence and develop self-esteem, and confidence. By using traditional storytelling methods, modern women can learn when and how to break out of their shells. “Rahima,” an affluent bacha, and “Shekiba,” a female palace guard disguised as a man, are the protagonists in this story.
They follow the ancient custom of bacha posh, where a girl dresses as a boy and lives as one until she reaches marriageable age. During this time, she attends school, goes to the market, and acts as a chaperone for her older sisters. This custom is not new to Rahima’s family, as her great-aunt, Shekiba, who was orphaned by an epidemic a century earlier, also saved herself and built a new life by adopting the same unusual custom.
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Themes
This novel addresses various themes; some of the most prevalent ones are Gender-based discrimination, Domestic Violence, Terrorism, Corruption, Family Disputes, and Survival Instincts.
The very basic theme of this novel runs around the hushed Afghan tradition of Bacha Posh. Critically analyzing this tradition and looking at what circumstance could be so cruel that parents are forced to dress and treat their pre-pubescent daughters as sons, we observe that the basic thought process lies around the age-old prejudice of biases against daughters.
Their birth invites nothing but glares, frowns, and disappointment. Automatically, the family’s honor is associated with the females within it, not in a positive way. Between the era of Shekiba and Rahima, mistreatment of women persisted, including the coercion of young girls into marriage by their parents and physical abuse from their husbands, with the desire for male offspring being seen as a means of gaining status.
While some progress has been made, it has been gradual. Although women have gained representation in parliament, their voices are often disregarded, resulting in daughters being restricted to their homes without access to education or social interaction.
Rahima, during her childhood with her opium-addicted father and during her years of marriage with her abusive husband, is constantly subjected to varying levels of cruelty and domestic violence. Certain beatings were so severe that they led to her eventual miscarriage. Much like Rahima, Shekiba too, never had a stable life. She had to face regular abuse and humiliation at the hands of her own grandmother, uncles, and aunties after the untimely demise of her family.
They never even considered her to be one of their own. Unsurprisingly, the abuse did not end even after she was sold to Azizullah as a servant to cover for her family’s debt. As we see later in the story, “Azizullah had dragged her back to the house and beaten her for an hour. Every time his strikes slowed, he would yell and huff about the humiliation she had caused him. His momentum would pick up again, and he’d toss her left and right with each blow” (167, Hashimi)
Being a story set amidst war-torn Afghanistan, the theme of terrorism is prevalent throughout the book. Epidemics, bombs, and wars were a significant and cruel part of Shekiba’s early life and significantly molded the rest of her years. As she got older, the torment only increased. With Afghanistan surrounded by hungry-eyed Russia and Britain, and the country collapsing under the burden of lost lives and power, it made sense for people to be living every day of their lives, fearing it to be the last.
Set in the late 2000s, we’d expect the life of young Rahima to be calmer, and less eventful. But the blasts that shook the walls of the parliament in Kabul during a presidential meeting proved us wrong very soon. The realization of how rampant corruption actually is in Afghan politics hits us when we observe how the votes of parliament members were rigged.
Abdul Khaliq’s eldest wife, Badriya, was a puppet in the hands of her husband and the other warlords. “Each time the director asked the parliament to vote on a candidate, Badriya waited until this man raised his paddle. And each time, she would pick the paddle that matched his green, green, red, green, red, red. And each time he looked over, his face was smug with approval to see her vote his way.” (332, Rahima)
Characters of The Pearl That Broke Its Shell
Rahima, the third of five sisters, became a Bacha Posh when her mother could not conceive a son, and it was decided that ‘Rahim’ would be the family’s male. The relationship benefits everyone since Rahim, the Bacha Posh, assists her mother with housework and keeps her father pleased with his delusory son. This gave Rahima a sense of freedom and mobility that no other female had ever experienced.
It has planted a seed for her desire to break free and fly away later in life, much like the birds in her sister’s paintings. Nevertheless, the fairytale-like existence of the protagonist is abruptly ended due to her father’s decision to wed her to the warlord, along with her sister Parwin being married off to the warlord’s cousin.
Meanwhile, we also follow the story of their great-great-grandmother, Shekiba, who lived a challenging life many centuries ago and serves as an inspiration to Rahima. Shekiba had a notorious reputation for bringing bad luck, but her life unexpectedly takes a turn when she enters the royal palace, disguised as a man, and protects the King’s mistresses’ harem. While she relishes the freedom of wearing pants without a headscarf, this newfound liberty comes at a cost.
Even after living a life full of such pain and turmoil, the way Shekiba shaped a secure future for herself is astonishing and serves as a ray of hope for Rahima when the clueless young woman tries to defeat her ‘Naseeb’ and shape a happier life for herself. “I didn’t know what my Naseeb was, much less that of my son. But I decided that night I would do whatever I could to make it the best Naseeb possible. For both of us, I was not going to miss any opportunities.”(272, Rahima)
Narrative
Ms. Hashimi serves as an excellent model for a writer who uses vivid descriptions. In her book, she effectively and distinctly portrayed the landscape of Afghanistan during two distinct periods while also emphasizing the tradition of bacha posh. The portrayal and transition of events are smooth and non-confusing. The initial few hundred pages of the book introduced many new characters, some of whom could have been given much better character development, though that did not happen.
In some parts, the story seems a bit slow. However, it changes as the book approaches its latter half. Here, the author succeeds in accelerating the pace. It becomes progressively attractive in such a manner that is enough to keep the reader hooked to the story and ensure that every reader gets the wonderful feeling of fulfillment as they cherish the beautiful notes on which the novel ends. Further, she didn’t just concentrate on criticizing traditions; she also demonstrated ways to assist Afghan women. She subtly emphasized that internal change is necessary for progress.
Title
The book portrays the oppressive and silent existence of women, but it also depicts the bravery of Rahima and Shekiba, who fought against the social injustices they faced. They did not allow themselves to be victims and instead stood tall amidst adversity. Overcoming various obstacles from their own families, other women, and their own self-doubts, they fought with all their might to rise above their disadvantaged social status.
The book’s conclusion is powerful, as it shows that Rahima, despite enduring violence, did not lose hope. Instead of giving up, she fought back and proved that there was still hope for someone like her. She is compared to a pearl that broke out of its shell – although she was physically harmed by Afghan men, her spirit could never be broken.
Conclusion
In general, The Pearl that Broke its Shell is a sombre yet indispensable story that deeply affects both the mind and the heart. It may not possess a particularly powerful writing style, but it is a pertinent work that provides a voice for mistreated women not only in Afghanistan but also across the globe. Its epic plot stirs up a range of emotions.
Despite Hashimi’s somewhat scattered writing, the book is a captivating read with an uplifting conclusion. It also makes us feel fortunate to have been born in a peaceful country and empathize with the Afghan women who continue to endure such horrific circumstances. The book prompts us to consider whether Afghan men have ever stopped and reflected on their treatment of women, amidst all the accounts and literature documenting the abuse inflicted upon them.
In conclusion, this is an excellent novel that comes highly recommended for individuals with an interest in Afghan and South Asian culture and literature, as well as those seeking to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of Afghanistan beyond the wars that have plagued it in recent years. Additionally, it is suitable for readers who enjoy first-person narratives. Still, it is not recommended for those who are sensitive to graphic depictions of violence against women or looking for a light read.
About Author
Nadia Hashimi is an American ex-pediatrician turned author. She was born and brought up in America in 1977. Both her parents are Afghan, ethnically, but immigrated to America in the early 1970s during the Soviet invasion owing to the unsafe environment in Afghanistan. Further, after finishing her studies in Middle Eastern Studies and Biology at Brandeis University, she earned a medical degree from SUNY Downstate. Hashimi worked as a medical practitioner in the emergency department of the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. before transitioning to a writing career.
Further, after finishing her studies in Middle Eastern Studies and Biology at Brandeis University, she earned a medical degree from SUNY Downstate. Hashimi worked as a medical practitioner in the emergency department of the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. before transitioning to a writing career.
Her debut book, “The Pearl that Broke its Shell”, was released in 2014 and gained widespread acclamation worldwide. This was quickly followed by two more books; ‘When the Moon is Low (2015)’ and ‘A House Without Windows (2016)’, in addition to two children’s books she has published. Having transitioned from a career in medicine to writing, Hashimi is now directing her efforts toward politics and is running for the position of Democratic candidate for Maryland’s 6th congressional district representative. She has been married to neurosurgeon Amin Amini since 2008 and they have four children together. Currently, they reside in Potomac, Maryland.
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