I'm sorry to say that The Pearl That Broke Its Shell was a pretty disappointing read for me.

I wasn't a fan of the writing style, it didn't flow very well and the storyline became tedious after a while. Women in Afghanistan are subservient to men - first their fathers, then their husbands. Nothing new here and there was never a real connection to either of the dual narrators. So while horrific things happened, such as horrible abuse and cruelty, it never reached me emotionally, though I did appreciate the story's optimistic bent.

I would recommend something like SECRET DAUGHTER by Shilpi Somaya Gowda 100 times before this, and I'm in no hurry to read another book from the author but I am willing to try her again since this was my first read of hers. 2.75 stars.

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I loved the premise of the story and learning more about the women and their struggles in Afghanistan however the writing needed a good editing. There were too many times when something was repeated several times. The writing was also not as elegant as I had hoped it would be. I am glad I read the book for the knowledge it afforded me. I just wish it had been told with more style.

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As hard as this was to read for the brutality inflicted on the Afghan women; it was very enlightening, too. Definitely worth the read. It is hard to believe that women had so few right, and that it hasn't changed much since this book was written. Gained some insight too into the Islam religion.

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