A Thousand Splendid Suns

by Khaled Hosseini

I've had this book on my table for awhile now. I have been waiting and waiting for this book to arrive since it was first announced because I loved The Kite Runner. I couldn't wait to see if Mr. Hosseini could write women as well as he did men. So when the book arrived I set it on my reading table to wait for a day I could read it. I just knew that once I picked it up I wouldn't be putting it down. Yesterday was the day, and I did just that.

You know, sometimes it takes a while for a book to grip me, for me to become invested in the story. Not so with this book, the first chapter sucked me right in. I was hooked, I was already emotionally drawn in and I was a part of the life of Mariam, an Afghan child born out of wedlock to a bitter woman. Mariam's father was a wealthy man with four wives already, so when Mariam's mother was found to be with child, she was quickly sent away to avoid bringing disgrace on Jalil, Mariam's father. Rather than abandon her altogether though, Jalil spent time with his daughter for a few hours once a week, much to the dismay of Mariam's mother, who thought it unfair that Mariam was kept in hiding. Mariam adored her father growing up, but then once she became a teenager she realized herself how unfair it was that she had brothers and sister that she'd never met, and that she'd never even been out of sight of her tiny humble home. Mariam makes a decision that changes her life forever.

Later on, we meet Laila and her best friend, Tariq, a little boy with only one leg. We watch them grow up together in Kabul, we see how they interact and care very much for each other as best friends should. And then we notice that Laila's feelings have changed and she realizes that she has, in fact, fallen in love with her best friend, and would he return those feelings?

It takes a long time for Mariam and Laila's lives to intersect in this story, and once they finally do, it is quite the intersection. I dare not say any more about this book as much else would lead to spoiling bits of the story. And like I mentioned, I did not put this book down, it was that good. I loved this book. It made me laugh, cry, cheer, and I completely fell in love with both Laila and Mariam. Though this is a fictional book, I also wonder how factual the events of Afghanistan are in the book. At the end there is a bit about a few liberties taken, but I suspect that while this is fiction, that a lot of it is based on fact and firsthand experience.

Overall, Khaled Hosseini does write women well. I thought he got into the heads of these women very well. One thing that really struck me in this book was the time when it came for these women to don the burqa. The burqa is a very thick and long veil, designed to let women look out, but not let anyone see the women. While their initial thoughts on wearing the burqa were worrisome, it wasn't long before they were grateful to be wearing the burqa, they both appreciated the anonymity it provided them when they were out of the home. It just struck me that this was another way to show how groups like the Taliban can get away with what they do, because it is quickly accepted as normal, the reasoning works for those involved.

An excellent book- instantly one of my favorites. As I understand, The Kite Runner has been made into a movie and will be released later this year. Khaled Hosseini writes so beautifully and wonderfully, that I just can't imagine that the screen adaptation can even come close to conveying the emotions in his books.