A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS!
“Of all the hardships a person had to face, none was more punishing than the simple act of waiting.”
It’s not very often you come across a hard-hitting story. A story that makes you cry your heart out and pulls you straight into it. A book that you find hard to put down.
Regarded as one of the best works by Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns is a story set in Afghanistan from the 1960s to 1990s, covering the occupation of the Soviet Union to the control of the Taliban over Afghanistan. It follows the story of the marriages of two women married to the same man. The book has domestic abuse, descriptions of war, the bravery of the two women, and its central theme- the rights of women.
A Thousand Splendid Suns covers so many dimensions of the war-ravaged country that you are bound to shed a tear by the end of it.
The book starts with the story of Mariam, a nine-year-old living on the outskirts of Herat with her mother, looking forward to weekly visits from her father, who lives in a mansion with his other wives. Mariam is this innocent child that you instantly feel pity for. After a certain turn of events, Mariam, at the age of 15, is forced to marry Rasheed, a man 20 years senior to her.
Rasheed is a kind, old-fashioned man who is a little grumpy. Mariam had discovered newfound happiness after marriage. Until her miscarriage, followed by other miscarriages.
The book then shows the other side of the coin, Laila. A pure child who finds her best friend in a boy, Tariq. She eventually falls in love with her best friend. The war steals her brothers and soon her parents. Orphaned Laila agrees to marry Rasheed. The story of Mariam and Laila will make you applaud the characters for their strength and bravery in desperate times.
A Thousand Splendid Suns is not just a story of strength and love but a story of life and hope. It’s about bravery that love brings with it. A book filled with inspiration that is bound to make your eyes wet and heart heavy.
Perfectly splendid 🤍❤️
I love it ❤️