The Pearl That Broke Its Shell by Afghan American novelist Nadia Hashimi tells an intergenerational story of two Afghan women whose lives are different but connected. Rahima, a teenage girl, lives in twenty-first-century Afghanistan. In the wake of Taliban rule, Afghanistan's government is divided and the culture is fractured. Shekiba, Rahima's great-great-grandmother, lives in early twentieth-century Afghanistan, under a monarchy. The plot moves back and forth between the two characters, chronicling their lives and the obstacles they face under oppressive patriarchal regimes. Rahima lives in a small village with her parents, her older sisters Shahla and Parwin, the latter born with a bad hip and a limp, and her younger sisters Rohila and Sitara. Her aunt, Khala Shaima, visits often, helps take care of the family, and tells the girls stories about their great-great-grandmother Shekiba. Rahima's... Summary of the Book Important People Character Analysis Analysis of the Themes and Author's Style With Instaread, you can get the key takeaways, summary and analysis of a book in 15 minutes. We read every chapter, identify the key takeaways and analyze them for your convenience.