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One Half from the East audiobook

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One Half from the East Audiobook Summary

Perfect for fans of Rita Williams-Garcia, Thanhha Lai, and Rebecca Stead, internationally bestselling author Nadia Hashimi’s first novel for young readers is a coming-of-age journey set in modern-day Afghanistan that explores life as a bacha posh–a preteen girl dressed as a boy.

Obayda’s family is in need of some good fortune, and her aunt has an idea to bring the family luck–dress Obayda, the youngest of four sisters, as a boy, a bacha posh.

Life in this in-between place is confusing, but once Obayda meets another bacha posh, everything changes. Their transformation won’t last forever, though–unless the two best friends can figure out a way to make it stick and make their newfound freedoms endure.

Nadia Hashimi’s first novel for adults, The Pearl That Broke Its Shell, was a bestseller that shares a bacha posh character with One Half from the East.

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One Half from the East Audiobook Narrator

Ariana Delawari is the narrator of One Half from the East audiobook that was written by Nadia Hashimi

Nadia Hashimi was born and raised in New York and New Jersey. Both her parents were born in Afghanistan and left in the early 1970s, before the Soviet invasion. In 2002, Nadia made her first trip to Afghanistan with her parents. She is a pediatrician and lives with her family in the Washington, DC, suburbs. She is the author of three books for adults, as well as the middle grade novels One Half from the East and The Sky at Our Feet. Visit her online at www.nadiahashimi.com.

About the Author(s) of One Half from the East

Nadia Hashimi is the author of One Half from the East

One Half from the East Full Details

Narrator Ariana Delawari
Length 5 hours 47 minutes
Author Nadia Hashimi
Category
Publisher HarperCollins
Release date September 06, 2016
ISBN 9780062570215

Subjects

The publisher of the One Half from the East is HarperCollins. includes the following subjects: The BISAC Subject Code is Family, General, Juvenile Fiction

Additional info

The publisher of the One Half from the East is HarperCollins. The imprint is HarperCollins. It is supplied by HarperCollins. The ISBN-13 is 9780062570215.

Global Availability

This book is only available in the United States.

Goodreads Reviews

Liza

September 25, 2016

After reading The Pearl That Broke Its Shell I was excited to read another book by this writer. This book deals again with the bacha posh tradition in Afghanistan (girl dressed as a boy), but it is much more on the personal experiences of turning into a boy and the meaning of the change. It is very important to remember that this is intended as a YA book, and therefore it is much simpler than her former book. As a YA book I would surely score it 5 stars, because there are so few YA books that are good, and also make people think (and with clean language and without super annoying protagonists), especially books dealing with gender inequality. The bacha posh tradition of Afghanistan is interesting. But moreover, it makes you wonder what is the meaning of gender, what it means to be a girl. Or as it appears in the book “But do the body parts matter?” Meena asks. “Are you a boy because you have those body parts or are you a boy because you get to do boy things?”. This is not only true in cultures like Afghanistan's where sons are valued in a way daughters are not, in many cultures (maybe ours too? ;) there is a perception that boys are capable of things girls are not, or at least different things. Obayda's story is wonderful. With the haircut and change of clothes her world changes, her potential changes, her confidence goes up, her chores disappear, her food improves. She is more worthy than her sisters. But she struggles to become a boy (probably I would be too if I was her) I am uncomfortable with my new life in pants. Even bigger problem is, that she will need to go through the opposite transition not too far in the future before puberty. Did the external change makes a difference in who she is? Is she still the same person underneath? (Think of "Fake it till you make it" theory, maybe it does make a difference?).A book that reminds that girls and boys are equal in what they can achieve. That we shouldn't clip children's wings. That gender has meaning in today's world, and that we need to embrace independence and help children to be whatever they want to be, and try anything, no matter their gender. The potential is huge, we just need to see it and let it out.Note: I would give it 4 stars for adults, especially ones that read The Pearl That Broke Its Shell. The first half of the book is just a deeper look into becoming a bacha posh, and was nice, but not necessary for me after reading prior writings about it. With that said, it is a clear 5 stars for YA (therefore the score). I wish there were more books like this, and more writers like Hashimi.

Girl Well Read

May 18, 2016

A special thank you to Edelweiss and HarperCollins Canada for an ARC in an exchange for an honest review.Nadia Hashimi's first YA novel is a coming-of-age story with a twist. Set in modern-day Afghanistan, we meet Obayda, the youngest girl of four sisters, who becomes a bacha posh (a preteen girl dressed as a boy) to bring her family luck. Obayda, now Obayd, must live as though she were a boy however, is struggling as he straddles both worlds until he meets another bacha posh, Rahim. Together they try to find a way to make their transformations stick so that they can enjoy their newfound freedoms.Hashimi explores the bacha posh in The Pearl That Broke Its Shell, and crosses over the character of Rahima/Rahim. She was interested in this part of Afghanistan's past after reading an article about how a king would use women, dressed as men, to guard his harem (trust no man!). These women are generations apart, being dressed as boys in a country where being female is a consequence. This book is a wonderful story of tenacity, friendship, and survival set against a backdrop of harsh realities. Give it a read, you will not be disappointed.

Aryana

September 16, 2018

This was a pretty good book and the author made the main character very intricate and intriguing. Good book!

Sarah

February 08, 2021

I don't really know that much about Afghanistan or what living there is like, but reading this book has helped me to understand that in a fun and easy to grasp way. And from the very beginning it's clear that things there are different: the dirt floor in the everything room, the electric doesn't work most days, eating on the floor, boys and girls are in different classrooms at school...and the story starts off with a truck bomb. Her father loses a leg in the blink of an eye and they have to move to a small village. Water comes from wells and they use outhouses. Overall I liked this book. The story was interesting and entertaining. But better yet I found myself caught up in the life of the main character, Obayda. I could relate to the emotions she was feeling throughout the story: fear, nervousness, embarrassment, uncertainty, self doubt, etc. These are all common emotions and while her actual situation was unique from my viewpoint...I could still relate to her very well. In this story, Obayda finds herself as a boy. Her family needs a boy but they only have four daughters. Because she's the youngest, she's chosen and told she's suddenly a boy. This is a tradition in Afghanistan called bocha posh. I've never really been a girly-girl wearing dresses and stuff so in many ways I can relate to her through this too...sort of. I certainly was hooked on the plot and there's some moments of danger too. Plus Obayda has the problem of her depressed father...Part of me wonders if this tradition actually confuses girls? I think the characters in here certainly seemed confused by it. And reading the book could lead to discussion about the subject. The thing that actually confused me the most was a very minor thing that was mentioned in the first chapter, about covering the stove with a blanket and then sitting around it to keep warm. I don't understand how you can cover a stove with a blanket without the blanket catching on fire?? One should not put fabric on a hot surface? I think the author should have explained this better maybe? Because it just leaves me feeling very confused and wondering what kind of stove is this? And I've read the entire book but I'm still wondering about it and I'm sure I'm supposed to be wondering about the bacha posh instead! So yes, it's distracting.I've liked this book enough that I have ordered another book by this author.

Read3r’z

October 26, 2018

“It is not the voice of a girl dressed as a boy. It is even stronger. Invincible.”One Half from the East is a great YA read that I would highly recommend for readers who enjoys a coming-of-age, slice of life story. It’s a story about a young girl who had to pretend to be a boy in order to change the fortune of her family. This superficial transformation is based on a longstanding Afghan belief that a “bacha posh” (girl who dresses and acts like a boy at home and in public) can bring luck to her family. This story is an interesting exploration of how boys and girls are treated differently in traditional Afghanistan, it examines gender inequality through the eyes of a ten-year-old Obayda (Obayd as a boy) and what girls can achieve when they get the same rights and freedom as boys. I really felt for Obayda throughout the story, especially her struggles in pretending to be a boy and also coming to terms with what would happen when she returns to being a girl. I also enjoyed reading about her friendship with Rahim. The story is well-written and profoundly perceptive. I liked that the story also focused on friendship, personal growth and family. It’s a compelling and thoughtful read that can also be enjoyed by adult readers.– NJ

Pallavi

December 25, 2016

4.5 starsI was expecting a heavy and "read between the lines" kind of a book, when I read Kabul in the blurb. But, in few pages I understood that it's a very light and relaxful read. How complex can be a child protagonist ??When Obayda's father loses his leg in a disaster in Kabul market, the whole family moves back to her father's childhood village. There is a lot to adjust with for Obayda and her family. There are no other men in the family to earn money, as her father loses his job after the accident. New school, new lifestyle and on that one of their aunt suggests Obayda's mother about "bachcha posh" for good luck. Bachcha posh is a tradition where a girl in the family ( youngest one) is changed into a boy and is persuaded to act like one in the society. And here Obayda is the chosen one and she becomes Obayd. From here Obayd enters into the world of boys and adventures begin! The plot was light and the family pictured here is not one of the orthodox ones but who believe in humanity and religion/ beliefs gong together. The more painful details were omitted or may be through Obayda's eyes, such details were invisible.Good read, go for it if you want to be a 10 year old again!

Tammy

July 25, 2018

I would have rated more stars had they been available!! What a compelling story. I know so little about Middle Eastern culture, and this novel presented new information for me. I simply had to further investigate the practice of bacha posh. Who knew? Well, Afghanis do. I made thematic connections to Golden Boy, as far as how cultural practice can further define a people, and how differences are approached elsewhere. I strongly recommend this book for those interested in gender issues, the Middle East, and coming of age stories.

Lakshmi

February 11, 2019

Nadia Hashimi never disappoints. Not the first book to write about 'Bacha posh' but it was an interesting perspective. It is sad to think that girls from certain lands get to enjoy freedom at the cost of pretending to change their gender even if it's only for a while. So much for gender equality. 'one half from the east one half from the west one half made of water and earth one half made of heart and soul one half staying at the shores and one-half nesting in a pearl'- Rumi

littleprettybooks

October 30, 2017

15/20La tradition des bacha posh racontée aux plus jeunes à travers le personnage d’Obayda qui, soudainement, va devoir devenir un garçon. Un livre passionnant sur l’Afghanistan, sa culture, et ses traditions.Ma chronique : https://myprettybooks.wordpress.com/2...

Clare

March 26, 2018

Fascinating story about a topic I really had no previous knowledge of (the bacha posh tradition in Afghanistan), and an interesting commentary on gender roles in cultures around the world. Heartbreaking and powerful.

Meral

May 07, 2020

3.75

Alexandra

October 29, 2019

The book I read is called, “One Half From The East”. This book is written by Nadia Hamishi. The genre of the book is realistic fiction. I know this because the book sounds like it could really happen. The protagonist of the book is a 10 year old girl named Obdaya. She lives in a village in modern day Afghanistan with her three older sisters, mom, and dad. The plot of the story is Obdaya becoming a bacha posh, a girl that becomes a boy, to bring luck to her family and the struggles she faces along the way. In Afghanistan culture, it is believed that if a girl becomes a boy temporarily or forever her family will then give birth to a son. The theme of the story is inequality since boys and girls are treated differently in Afghanistan and boys have more freedom and rights. The internal conflict of this book is man vs. self. One example can be found on page 382. On this page it states, “it takes a few days, but I settle into my life as a girl again. Things are different at home. I’m not the special son of the house anymore.” This describes what Obdaya was thinking in her head while transforming back into a girl. The external conflict of this book is man vs. society. One example of this conflict can be found on page 39 where it states, “a boy can work and earn money. A boy is good luck. A boy brings other boys into the family. Girls can’t do any of those things.” This shows that the external conflict of the book is man vs. society because most of Afghanistan believe that girls are weak and helpless. I liked this book because it talked about modern day Afghanistan and what it is like to be a girl there. It showed how strong and brave Obdaya was when she became a bacha posh even though she regretted it in the beginning. Reading this book made me feel lucky not to be in Obdaya’s place. I think this because in the U.S. girls and boys are treated the same, but that is not the case in Afghanistan. There is nothing I did not like about this book. I recommend this book specifically for girls ages 10-12 who are interested in reading about the challenges girls face in different countries. I think this because the book goes into great detail about how Obdaya finds out how strong she really is after becoming a bacha posh. The book also talks about how she was treated better as a boy than a girl.

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