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Recommendations based on The Pearl That Broke Its Shellby Nadia Hashimi
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When the Moon is Low
by Nadia Hashimi
A family flees Afghanistan, facing danger and uncertainty as they seek refuge in Europe.
Mahmoud's passion for his wife Fereiba, a schoolteacher, is greater than any love she's ever known. But their happy, middle-class world—a life of education, work, and comfort—implodes when their ... (Goodreads)
And the Mountains Echoed
by Khaled Hosseini
Interconnected stories of family and love, tracing the consequences of decisions made throughout life.
The novel opens in the year 1952. Saboor, an impoverished farmer from the fictional village of Shadbagh, decides to sell his three-year-old daughter Pari to a wealthy, childless couple in Kabul. ... (Wikipedia)
Orphan Train
by Christina Baker Kline
A story of two women's intertwined lives, spanning generations and crossing continents.
The #1 New York Times Bestseller “A lovely novel about the search for family that also happens to illuminate a fascinating and forgotten chapter of America’s history. Beautiful.”—Ann Packer Moving ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Girl You Left Behind
by Jojo Moyes
A woman's search for answers and justice, despite the consequences of war-torn France.
From the, New York Times, bestselling author of, The Giver of Stars, a sweeping bestseller of love and loss, deftly weaving two journeys from World War I France to present day London. Paris, World ... (Goodreads)
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
by Betty Smith
A coming of age story set in Brooklyn, depicting a young girl's struggles and growth.
The novel is split into five "books", each covering a different period in the characters' lives. Book One opens in 1912 and introduces 11-year-old Francie Nolan, who lives in the Williamsburg ... (Wikipedia)
Before We Were Yours
by Lisa Wingate
Family torn apart is reunited across generations, revealing a powerful tale of resilience and hope.
Memphis, 1939. Twelve-year-old Rill Foss and her four younger siblings live a magical life aboard their family’s Mississippi River shantyboat. But when their father must rush their mother to the ... (Goodreads)
The Invention of Wings
by Sue Monk Kidd
A powerful story about a girl's journey to freedom, despite the limitations of slavery.
Writing at the height of her narrative and imaginative gifts, Sue Monk Kidd presents a masterpiece of hope, daring, the quest for freedom, and the desire to have a voice in the world—and it is now ... (Goodreads)
This is Where I Leave You
by Jonathan Tropper
A family comes together during a week of sitting shiva, rediscovering the joys of being a family.
A riotously funny, emotionally raw New York Times bestselling novel about love, marriage, divorce, family, and the ties that bind—whether we like it or not. The death of Judd Foxman’s father marks ... (Goodreads)
Still Alice
by Lisa Genova
A woman's struggle to hold on to her identity in the face of a devastating diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer's disease.
Still Alice is a compelling debut novel about a 50-year-old woman's sudden descent into early onset Alzheimer's disease, written by first-time author Lisa Genova, who holds a Ph. D in neuroscience ... (Goodreads)
The Underground Railroad
by Colson Whitehead
An escaped slave's daring escape to freedom, fighting against the brutality of slavery.
The story is told in the third person, focusing mainly on Cora. Scattered single chapters also focus on Cora's mother Mabel, the slavecatcher Ridgeway, a reluctant slave sympathizer named Ethel, and ... (Wikipedia)
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry
by Gabrielle Zevin
Life of an isolated bookseller is transformed when an unexpected visitor brings unexpected joy.
“Marvelously optimistic about the future of books and bookstores and the people who love both.”—, The Washington Post, A. J. Fikry’s life is not at all what he expected it to be. He lives alone, his ... (Barnes & Noble)
City of Women
by David R. Gillham
A woman in Nazi Germany struggles to survive and protect her family in a dangerous world.
NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLER, Whom do you trust, whom do you love, and who can be saved? A gripping tale of Berlin in the Second World War, from the author of, Annelies., It is 1943—the height of the ... (Barnes & Noble)
A Fine Balance
by Rohinton Mistry
A gripping story of four unlikely lives intertwined in the tumult of India's caste system.
The book exposes the changes in Indian society from independence in 1947 to the Emergency called by Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi . Mistry was generally critical of Indira Gandhi in the book. ... (Wikipedia)
The Kitchen House
by Kathleen Grissom
A young Irish girl is taken in by a plantation family in Virginia and becomes entangled in the lives of the slaves who work there.
When a white servant girl violates the order of plantation society, she unleashes a tragedy that exposes the worst and best in the people she has come to call her family. Orphaned while onboard ship ... (Goodreads)
Calling Me Home
by Julie Kibler
An interracial friendship between two women, challenged by the realities of racial prejudice.
Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler is a soaring debut interweaving the story of a heartbreaking, forbidden love in 1930s Kentucky with an unlikely modern-day friendship. Eighty-nine-year-old Isabelle ... (Goodreads)
I Know This Much Is True
by Wally Lamb
A man's journey of self-discovery, coming to terms with family trauma and understanding his identity.
The novel takes place in Three Rivers, Connecticut in the early 1990s. Dominick Birdsey's identical twin , Thomas Birdsey, suffers from paranoid schizophrenia . With medication, Thomas is able to ... (Wikipedia)
Lilac Girls
by Martha Hall Kelly
A story of three women's lives, intertwined by World War II, and their remarkable courage.
Inspired by the life of a real World War II heroine, this powerful debut novel reveals an incredible story of love, redemption, and terrible secrets that were hidden for decades. On the eve of a ... (Goodreads)
The Valley of Amazement
by Amy Tan
A woman's story of resilience, navigating two different cultures and the struggles of motherhood.
In the first part of the story, Violet tells the story of growing up in Hidden Jade Path, a courtesan house in Shanghai that is run by her mother, an American woman named Lulu Minturn. Violet grows ... (Wikipedia)
Whistling Past the Graveyard
by Susan Crandall
A young girl's journey of self-discovery, overcoming challenges on a journey to be reunited with her family.
The summer of 1963 begins like any other for nine-year-old Starla Claudelle. Born to teenage parents in Mississippi, Starla is being raised by a strict paternal grandmother, Mamie, whose worst fear ... (Goodreads)
Salt to the Sea
by Ruta Sepetys
Vivid tale of a group of refugees struggling to survive in WWII Europe.
New York Times, Bestseller and winner of the Carnegie Medal! ,"Masterfully crafted",—,The Wall Street Journal,For readers of, Between Shades of Gray, and, All the Light We Cannot See, Ruta Sepetys, ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Space Between Us
by Thrity Umrigar
A poignant story of two women from different social classes in Mumbai, India, and their unlikely friendship that defies societal norms.
The Space Between Us takes place in present-day India and centers on two women: Serabai (Sera) Dubash, an upper-middle-class , Parsi widow, and her domestic servant of more than twenty years, Bhima. ... (Wikipedia)
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
by Jamie Ford
A touching story of the intersection of love, family, and culture during World War II.
Henry Lee, the son of Chinese parents in Seattle , Washington, is the only Asian child at his elementary school. His father makes him wear an "I Am Chinese" button so he will not be mistaken for a ... (Wikipedia)
The Art of Racing in the Rain
by Garth Stein
An uplifting story of a race car driver and the bond between humans and animals.
Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: a philosopher with a nearly human soul (and an obsession with opposable thumbs), he has educated himself by watching television extensively, and by ... (Goodreads)
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
by Rachel Joyce
An elderly man's unexpected quest of faith, discovering the power of hope and love.
Harold Fry, 65, has cut the lawn outside his home at Kingsbridge on the south coast of Devon when he receives a letter. A colleague of twenty years ago, Queenie Hennessy, has cancer and is in a ... (Wikipedia)
Origin
by Dan Brown
An exploration of secret societies and history, uncovering dark secrets of the past.
Edmond Kirsch, a billionaire philanthropist, computer scientist and futurist , as well as a strident atheist , attends a meeting in Catalonia ( Spain ) with Roman Catholic Bishop Antonio Valdespino, ... (Wikipedia)
One Plus One
by Jojo Moyes
A single mother's struggle to make a better life for her and her daughter.
One single mom. One chaotic family. One quirky stranger. One irresistible love story from the, New York Times, bestselling author of, The Giver of Stars, American audiences have fallen in love with ... (Goodreads)
Elizabeth Street
by Laurie Fabiano
A historical novel about an Italian family's journey to America and their struggles to survive in the early 1900s.
Based on true events, Elizabeth Street is a multigenerational saga that opens in an Italian village in the 1900's, and crosses the ocean to New York's Lower East Side. At the heart of the novel is ... (Goodreads)
The Golden Son
by Shilpi Somaya Gowda
An Indian doctor in the US struggles to balance his traditional values with his new life, as he faces love, loss, and ethical dilemmas.
The first of his family to go to college, Anil Patel, the golden son, carries the weight of tradition and his family’s expectations when he leaves his tiny Indian village to begin a medical residency ... (Goodreads)
The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat
by Edward Kelsey Moore
Three lifelong friends navigate life's ups and downs in a small Indiana town, sharing laughter, tears, and secrets over plates of fried catfish.
Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat diner in Plainview, Indiana is home away from home for Odette, Clarice, and Barbara Jean. Dubbed "The Supremes" by high school pals in the tumultuous 1960s, they’ve weathered ... (Goodreads)
Cutting for Stone
by Abraham Verghese
A sweeping journey of two twin brothers and their search for identity, belonging and family.
The story is told by the protagonist, Marion Stone. He and his conjoined twin Shiva are born at Mission Hospital (called "Missing" in accordance with the local pronunciation), Addis Ababa , in ... (Wikipedia)
