Book Review of ‘ A Thousand Splendid Suns’ by Khaled Hosseini
A book that is hard to read and harder to put down. A Thousand Splendid Suns is one of my favourite books. The story takes place between the years 1960–2005, drawing significant references to the actual events in Afghanistan during that timeline highlighting the hardships faced by women during this period.
Women suffered not only through bombings and guns like everyone else; not only were they beaten, tortured, humiliated, imprisoned, with their fundamental human rights violated over and once more, they also suffered extensively from gender-based abuse.
The story revolves around Mariam, an illegitimate child of Jalil, a local businessman of the town Herat. Everyone around constantly reminds her that she wasn’t supposed to be born and that she was a mistake. Mariam doesn’t understand this and, in her childhood, dreams of going to school. But, over the years, all Mariam wants is to be accepted and be appreciated.
“And the past held only this wisdom: that love was a damaging mistake, and its accomplice, hope, a treacherous illusion. And whenever those twin poisonous flowers began to sprout in the parched land of that field, Mariam uprooted them. She uprooted them and ditched them before they took hold.”
“Though there were moments of beauty, Mariam knew for the most part that life had been unkind to her.”
Another central character in the story is Laila, whose father is a modern man. wants her to get an education and stand up for herself. Laila’s explores many taboos such as premarital sex and indifference towards the girl child in the family. Unfortunately, circumstances make them marry the same man, Rasheed, an abusive person, often engaging in domestic violence. Initially sour, Mariam and Laila develop a mother-daughter bond as the story progresses.
The plot is exceptionally intriguing and emotionally charged. The narration is exceptionally beautiful: one can clearly visualise what’s happening. The heart aches for the hardships Mariam has to face. Every character is so perfectly carved out. Mariam however was my favourite character, not because of the sympathy one develops for her, but because of the strength of character she displays.
and yet she was leaving the world as a woman who had love and been loved back. she was leaving it as a friend, a companion, a guardian. a mother. a person of consequence at last.
I read ‘The Kite Runner’ before reading this, but this book is very close to my heart. So do read if you are looking for something exceptional. But the story is very very affecting and takes time to get out of you.
