A Thousand Splendid Suns

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, a firsthand look at the struggles occurring in every day Afghanistan, everything from fatality to arranged marriages this book keeps the reader at the edge of their seat. Hosseini has never failed to impress with his works, And the Mountains Echoed and Kite Runner have both been very successful. Both, like A Thousand Splendid Suns, have an Afghani background and universal theme that seems to circulate throughout Hosseini’s works. Our brutally scarred characters each have their own story to tell, each one as unique as the next; Mariam, a betrayed daughter and Laila, a simple minded girl who has her innocence stolen from her. This tragedy filled book is one built for the ages, something every devoted reader needs in their personal library. The theme of this book could be one of many things, for instance, if need be, it could be related to women in an obvious way. The discrimination of women or the inner strength of women are two very powerful themes in this book. But, if the author wanted a universal theme for all three of his books, my all-time favorite would be the human capacity for evil.

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a novel that illustrates the plight of women in Afghanistan.  In the beginning of this book the author introduces Mariam and her mother, a woman who is bitter because of Jalil, a man who impregnated her and left her and baby Mariam by themselves in a kolba outside of Kabul. She always lectured to Mariam, talked about “our lot in life” the lot of the poor, uneducated “woman like us”. Until the unfortunate death of Mariam’s mother, Mariam never appreciated her words, never fully understood them. Now, being alone Mariam was forced to marry. Rasheed was a big bloke of a man, rude and was always “embarrassed when he saw a man who can’t take control of his wife”. Rasheed forces Mariam to wear a burqa and treats her like she is the scum of the earth, even though Mariam lives and breathes to serve him. She lives in fear because of “his shifting moods, his volatile temperament, his insistence on steering even mundane exchanges down a confrontational path that, on occasion, he would resolve with punches, slaps, kicks, and sometimes try to make amends for with polluted apologies and sometimes not.” She never knew better, always assumed that, that was how women were supposed to be treated when it came to marriage in Afghanistan. The novel jumps back and forth between Mariam and Laila. Laila was the daughter of a school teacher in Kabul, a man who only wanted the best for his cherished little daughter. She praised him and his teachings, and all he wanted for her was an education. Her innocence and simple life was torn apart from her when a rocket that the Soviets had placed during war time in Afghanistan struck her house in Kabul and killed her parents. Her boyfriend Tariq, who she was irrevocably in love with, had already moved to Pakistan with his family in the hopes of a better life. She soon realizes that she is an orphan with no friends and no Tariq. Later on the reader finds out that Laila is also pregnant with Tariq’s baby and has nowhere to go, she and her baby would be alone on the streets of Kabul; and that’s when Laila decides to marry Rasheed. At first, Mariam sees Laila as a rival, after all, Mariam does live and breathe to serve Rasheed and he brings home another, making her feel once again, not good enough. Then, as the story progresses and baby Aziza is born, Mariam and Laila become allies in the oncoming war that is Rasheed. They shield each other from his anger and ridiculous demands and soon enough, even become best friends.

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a book I highly recommend to anyone who has or has not read either one of Hosseini’s other novels, it catches glimpses of war time Afghanistan and makes the story come alive by including ethos, logos and pathos throughout the whole book. This is a book that once picked up, can’t be put down. A 5 out of 5 star rating in my personal opinion, grab a copy and enjoy.

Book Review by Aida F.