A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a book I’ve heard about from friends many times before but not one I’ve been the most interested in reading. 

It’s the second book by Hosseini, who’s first is the critically acclaimed “The Kite Runner”. It tells the story of a tumultuous Afghanistan in the late 20th century and of two women’s experiences in their homeland during this period. Although both women are significantly different in age, upbringing and lifestyle their stories become intertwined due to a series of unfortunate events that take place in their lives.

It is a book which takes you on an incredible journey from when you are initially introduced to the main characters to your last goodbyes. You almost forget how you were first introduced with the way in which their story ebbs and flows. It is a story of love, strength, despair, death, bravery & so much more.  

It’s difficult to comprehend or empathise with the sadness that both characters face in this book. Both are such strong female characters, contrasting starkly to Hosseini’s portrayal of most of the male characters in this story. I finally understand why three of my female friends have recommended it to me over the years, I believe it’s a story that strongly resonates with them and one that anyone who reads will find a lasting resonance with. 

If there is beauty in sadness, then A Thousand Splendid Suns is one of the most beautiful books ever written, filled with the most powerful female characters.

Life is unbearable for a woman in a country and a time where their sole purpose is to be at the will of a man, to have his children, make his food & please him whenever he beckons, their life revolves around men from a young age. The themes of family, women & their place in the household during such a traditional period are focused upon throughout the book. From the way in which girls are prepared for marriage before they’re even 10 & married off by 14, to the Stockholm syndrome nature of the acceptance of their fate, constantly living in fear of men; there is a never-ending list of barriers faced by the women in this book.

i feel the following quote from the book encompasses the depiction of male and female relationships during this period: 

“Like a compass needle that points north a mans accusing finger always finds a woman”

Aside from the struggles of women, A Thousand Splendid Suns is also a story of a wonderful country marred by war, politics and religion. The way Hosseini describes Herat, Kabul & the different regions of Afghanistan with such vividness makes you want to visit this country and highlights the depth of its history and culture. It’s a depiction of Afghanistan from the perspective of its inhabitants and not from the perspective of its western enemies, something rarely seen in the western world. 

It was refreshing and eye-opening to read about how the different so called terrorist factions came to fruition and how the inhabitants of Afghanistan tried to handle this in their day to day lives, which Hosseini continually reminds us were surprisingly not so long ago.

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a book written not just for Mariam or Layla, the two main characters, but also for Afghanistan & its people who have suffered for over 50 years and are still suffering today.

I would recommend this book, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Have you had a read of this? I’d love to know your thoughts!

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Thanks to Veds for editing and reading my initial draft.