A Thousand Splendid Suns is one of those books that you will pick up, intending to read just one chapter, and then hours later you’ll hear the birds chirping, see the glimmer of dawn in the sky and realise that you have been up all night, spellbound by the suspense of Hosseini’s prose. But this is more than just a gripping story. It is an insight into a society that we shamefully know so little about, despite Afghanistan being front page news for so much of the 2000s.
The book is a dual narrative following the stories of two women, Mariam and Laila, whose lives become intertwined. Set against the backdrop of 30 years of modern Afghan history, the story spans from the Soviet occupation to Taliban control and then on to post-Taliban rebuilding. Although Mariam and Laila come from different generations, they both encounter similar hardships: Mariam first as the illegitimate child and then as the wife who suffers multiple miscarriages, and Laila as the girl who has a happy upbringing in Kabul but who loses everything, pressured into an unhappy marriage to protect her child.
Hosseini weaves elements of Afghanistan’s history in throughout the novel, but in such a skillful way that it never detracts from the voices of these two women: ultimately it is their story. But nevertheless, through the lives of these two women, you will gain an understanding of a country that has suffered greatly from a lack of understanding, a lack of seeing on the part of the Western world. I have a sincere belief that literature is one of the most powerful means we have of breaking down cultural barriers, as through literature we can learn about other lives from the inside, rather than just as a distant onlooker. It fosters empathy and understanding, important traits in a world where we are so often taught to fear and hate anything different from our version of “normal”.
But don’t let me distract you from the simple matter that this book is also an excellent story, one which will grab you around the heart and tear it to pieces again and again and again. You will not be able to put this book down as events unfold in a way that is never predictable, but always gripping. An incredible tale about resilience and hope, and the strength of love when all hope seems lost.
A Thousand Splendid Suns is written by Khaled Hosseini, the author of The Kite Runner. He regards The Kite Runner as a father-son story and A Thousand Splendid Suns as a mother-daughter story. Both books, in my opinion, are truly excellent.
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