Two women who were “bocha posh” in their youth are the two
heroines of this double story. Rahima is
the modern girl who is turned into a boy in order for her family to survive in
a patriarchal society where girls/women are forced into the extreme background
of life. Shekiba (the great-great-grandmother of Rahima) becomes “bacha
posh” because of the deaths of her immediate family and the shunning of her
extended family. Both women live in a
very structured Aghan society that does not permit females to participate in
society.
The intertwined tales follow the women throughout their
lives as they transition from girl to “boy” and then back to girl. The second
transition is the most difficult as they must adjust from relative freedom to a
rigidly obedient life under the complete domination of both males and the older
women who can make their lives miserable or pleasant.
Traditional Afghan society is made very clear as we learn
the intimate details of Rahima and Shekiba’s lives. Both women make choices that
determine their fates as well as the fates of those they love or simply grow to
know. The character who connects the two
women is Shaima, Rahima’s aunt, who tells the story of Shekiba in order to
encourage Rahima to live her life as fully as possible.
Book groups will ponder the fate of the many women who
people the book and find much to discuss – husbands, education, the position of
women, ethical behavior, the importance of family and, of course, the oddity of
“bacha posh” itself.
5 of 5 stars
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