One Half From the East

Reviewed by: Kris Zuidema - retired school librarian, Standish, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: May 2, 2017

Review

This well written novel is set in contemporary Afghanistan. Obayda, her sisters, and her parents move from Kabul to a small village after her father loses a leg in an explosion which drastically changes their lives. This story is an eye opener to an old tradition, bacha posh, which still exists. This is when a young girl is transformed into a boy by cutting her hair and dressing as a boy. When the girl reaches puberty, she is transformed back into a girl. There are many reasons a girl may be chosen to do this. The characters in this story pull the reader into an unfamiliar world, yet the themes are universal. The author beautifully describes the everyday life of this region as the plot quickly moves along. There is so much to ponder after reading this incredible story. I highly recommend this young adult debut novel by Nadia Hashimi. She is of Afghan heritage and is the international bestselling author of The Pearl that Broke Its Shell which is also about the practice of bacha posh. The author's note includes additional information about bacha posh.

Overall Book Score: very good