A Thousand Splendid Suns

by Khaled Hosseini

A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini is a story about Mariam. She is a young Afghan woman and throughout the book she goes through many negative things and some positive things as well. The main aim of the author in this book is to show people what women in Afghanistan go through. They are not treated as humans but as servants of their husbands. However, the book also shows us how unity amongst people can help them get out of any negative thing. Mariam and other women in the book worked together against their abusive husbands. This book was really mind opening for me because before reading it I thought of Afghanistan as a place of war and only war. However, Hosseini descriptions of it were much more. The children playing, women talking and laughing while working and the beautiful scenery and architecture.

Miguel Obwaka

Rating: 4 Interesting

 


 

The book I read is called ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’, and it was written by Khaled Hosseini. It is set in Afghanistan from the 1960’s, to 1990’s, during the Soviet occupation. It follows the life of women who live in a country torn apart by war, and the battles they went through in their early lives, and marriages. The first is a girl named Mariam. She was nine in the beginning of the book. She was seen as a harami, and an illegitimate child. Even as a child, she went through a lot of problems of not feeling like she belonged anywhere, and that she was out of place. Her wealthy father did not want her, and neither did her mother. After her mother committed suicide, Mariam was forced to marry a man more than twice her age at the tender age of 15. Her husband Rasheed, was seen as a kind man, and he had a sorrowful childhood similar to Mariam’s. At first, her marriage did not look as bad, until she started getting many miscarriages, and her husband started to abuse her. The second woman is called Laila. She lost her parents, and had a very sad childhood because no one really loved her. When Rasheed asked her to marry him, she accepted, hoping he would love her. As the book progresses, Mariam, and Laila built a sort of mother- daughter type of relationship, even though they were both married to the same man. Eventually, Mariam sacrificed her life for Laila, and to honor Mariam, Laila dedicated her life to the children of Kabul, using Mariam’s inheritance. At the end of the book, Laila was pregnant with a child. A significant moment at the end of the book was when Laila was looking for baby names, and she only looked for boy names because she knew that if she had a girl, she would name her Mariam.

Angel Mailu

Rating: 5 Recommended

 


 

A Thousand Splendid Suns focuses on Mariam and the struggles she faces as a young woman in Afghanistan such as an early and abuseful marriage. This book  depicts the stereotypes and attitudes against women during that period. This book helped me understand the culture of the Afghans and also the origin of the Taliban crisis which has showed that despite women proving themselves, these attitudes have continued to persist such as women are denied education and married off early instead. Mariam’s strength and perserverance is truly inspiring and impactful even on her co wife Laila. This reinforces to me that success in life is really how much you are able to positively impact the lives of others. I loved this book and it is one of those that you want to know what happens next. I greatly recommend.

Nancy Oundo

Rating: 5 Recommended