A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

I had very high expectations the first time I read “A Thousand Splendid Suns”. Khaled Hosseini’s first book “The Kite Runner” overwhelmed me, and I could not imagine that his second book would be as good, but I was wrong.

The author, Khaled Hosseini, has been able to tell about the history of Afghanistan, from the end of the monarchy to the rule of the Taliban, in an interesting and heartbreaking way.  Khaled tells about the history of Afghanistan through two women main characters. The main characters have very different backgrounds, but to survive the rule of Taliban they have to stand together.

The first main character is Mariam, who has spent her childhood living in a tiny hut with her mother in the outskirts of Herat. Her father is a wealthy businessman, who lives in Herat with his wives and family – he only visits Mariam once a week and does not really care about her, but Mariam loves him endlessly. Her biggest wish is to live with her father, but this has terrible consequences and she is forced to marry an older man, Rasheed, from Kabul.

The other main character, Laila, is the exact opposite of Mariam. She has grown up in the same neighborhood that Rasheed and Mariam lives in. Her brothers were fighting against the Russians in the mountains during her childhood, but her best friend, Tariq, was always by her side.  Tariq’s family decides to flee from Afghanistan, when the warlords start bombing Kabul. Mariam is left alone and she ends up marrying Rasheed, even though she does not love him.

The relation between Mariam and Laila is very tense in the beginning, but they are brought together when Rasheed starts making their lives a living hell. Rasheed is dominating and abusive, and the resolution of the conflict is absolutely horrible and painful.

Khaled Hosseini uses the characters in the story to give the reader an insight in the history of Afghanistan. Laila’s brothers fight against the Russians and both died in the war. Her father is a teacher, who are interested in war and politics, which leads to a lot of talk about the current situation in Afghanistan.  Rasheed is a sham, who tries manipulates the political system.

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a book that makes you think and reflect a lot. It is heartbreaking to read about the cruelty toward the women and know that it is a reality in many Afghan homes. Women were worth nothing and it really shocked me, that not only the Taliban but also the average Afghan had so low thought about women.

It is not an easy book to read, but it is hard to let go of it when you first start. Personally, I love books that you can learn something from but also makes you reflect and think about current conflicts and issues.

Khaled Hosseini delivered a perfect second book and I would highly recommend it to anyone, who wants a good read.