The Pearl that Broke Its Shell : A Novel

An emotionally moving tale about two women in Afghanistan and how gender roles affect their lives. Rahima, the third of five daughters, becomes a bacha posh, dressing and posing as a boy so that she can go to the market, work side jobs, and go to school. She enjoys the freedom she is allowed as Rahim, but her drug-addicted father makes a decision that alters her life. One of the few comforts is the story of her ancestor, Shekiba, who was badly burned and disfigured as a child. After losing her mother and her brothers to a cholera epidemic, Shekiba takes care of her home and her land until her father dies. Her father's family sells Shekiba to be a servant. She is soon sent to the palace as a gift, where she joins other women guarding the king's harem.

Yay