A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

A Thousand Splendid SunsMariam is the illegitimate daughter of one of Heart’s wealthiest men, Jahil. Growing up she adores her father even though her mother, Nana, tries to warn her of the low regard held for herself and Mariam. When Mariam is 15 she forces the issue and learns that she indeed, is not anything in her father’s eyes. She is married off to a man more than twice her age and lives over 600 miles away in Kabul.

Laila grows up in Kabul with Tariq as her best friend. Intelligent, beautiful, and adored by her father, Laila’s life is marred by the Afghani politics that eventually take Tariq and her family from her. She ends compromises her life by accepting Mariam’s husband’s marriage proposal.

Hosseini weaves the tale and emotions of two women so well that I thought he was a female writer until I finally looked after reading more than half the story. Being American and ashamedly unaware, I don’t know how accurate the politics of the story are, but from what little I know of what Afghan, and Islamic women have endured and still are enduring, this man has written a story that rings all to true and should not be buried.