A Thousand Splendid Suns

Book Review by Dixit Arora

Khaled Hosseini’s brilliance shines once again with this masterpiece. Yet again the author beautifully crafted the disturbing story of Afghanistan in a riveting manner. This time he has chosen the role of women and expressed through the stories of Mariam and Laila, two women separated by a generation but united by an unbreakable bond of friendship. These two endured so much in their life’s and yet remain resilient and true to themselves.

This heart wrenching novel will not only make you cry but also introduce you the most depressed and dark version of Afghan People’s life. It is marveling to see that how every Afghan story is marked by death and loss and unimaginable grief. But still people find a way to survive, to go on.

Pain and darkness bore it’s teeth into Mariam and Laila’s life at early age. They both were overwhelmed with uncertainty, indiscrimination, gender-based abuse, domestic violence and list goes on. Their childhood was washed away beneath the waves of sorrow that swelled and crashed. But despite a turbulent life, they have always made an effort to find a hope and sanity and tried to ride out the rocky times.

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This novel is a must read for those who feel life is not on their side and they are the only ones encountering all the hardships in life. Because our pain is as large as our inability to see pain elsewhere.