The Pearl that Broke Its Shell by Nadia HashimiMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
A relentlessly depressing story of life in Afghanistan for women. The book follows Rahima and her great-grandmother Shekiba, as they lead parallel hopeless lives a century apart. Girls are unwanted children, eagerly married off at a young age to be someone else's responsibility. Husbands have several wives, creating jealousy among them as to who is favored or called to his bed more frequently. The wives are beaten for the slightest reason. There is hatred and betrayal throughout. The author's writing handles the misery deftly, but still an unhappy read.
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