“A Thousand Splendid Suns” by Khaled Hosseini

 

One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs, Or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls.”

‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ by Khaled Hosseini is one of those books that you just don’t want to stop reading, keeps you on your toes and leads you on a breathless chase. It is a heartbreaking, heart-warming and an emotionally gripping story that makes you want to put down the book and yet read on.

The story is centered around Mariam, an illegitimate child of Jalil, a local businessman of the town Herat. she was constantly reminded by everyone around her including her mother of the fact that she was a mistake and that she wasn’t supposed to be born. Mariam doesn’t understand this, throughout her childhood, she dreams of going to school. Over the years all Mariam longs for is acceptance and appreciation. She was never allowed to learn to stand up for herself or fight for her freedom of which she was deprived.

Another major character in the story is Laila. Her father pushes her to get an education and always stands up for her. He calls Laila the kind of woman Afghanistan will need owing to her kindness, courage, and bravery. Laila’s story explores many taboos like premarital sex and indifference towards the girl child within a family.

Throughout the story, Khaled explores Laila and Mariam’s relationship and their courage to remain strong and brave in an unfair world. It conveys the message that even when life seems most unkind, love and compassion can do miracles. And when we make a sacrifice for love, it doesn’t feel like a sacrifice, it feels like a choice… a decision.

What is truly remarkable about Hosseini's work is the portrayal of war and its aftermath through these characters. The plot weaves the turbulent events of Afghanistan’s last thirty years, when the Soviets invaded the country, when Babrak Karmal formed a puppet government, and how the Taliban took control of the country. All these events are accurately described in the form of fiction. It has both; the drama the reader needs, along with some truth to them.  This is what truly and assuredly makes it a page-turner

“A thousand splendid suns” is indeed a work of intense emotional power. An eye-opening book about the struggles and oppression of women in a patriarchal society with a comprehensible depiction of a woman’s search for equality and freedom, Filled with strong compelling feelings and a captivating plot. It highlights the power of education, and how women’s education contributes to the overall progression of society.                        

“A society has no chance at success if its women are uneducated, Laila. No chance.”

 it is one among my favorite books and I highly recommend it to everyone.

 

Avishka Fernando