Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns is a powerful, heart-wrenching novel set in Kabul, Afghanistan. Published in 2007, the novel tells the story of two women who, despite their differing backgrounds and attitudes, form a strong bond in a world full of despair and pain. In a country wracked by war and overwhelming political and religious strife, the courage and fortitude of these two extraordinary women illustrates the strength of the human spirit.
The novel begins in 1992, after the Soviets have left Afghanistan. Mariam is a young woman who is neither welcomed nor welcomed by her father, Jalil. She has grown up as an outcast, and is seen as the result of her mother’s adulterous relationship, which has been seen as a stain on the family’s reputation. Rejected by her father, Mariam is sent to Kabul to marry an older man, Rasheed. Though Mariam is fifteen, Rasheed is in his late thirties or early forties and lacks any form of genuine warmth or affection. Mariam’s fate worsens when Rasheed’s long-suffering first wife, a Hazara woman named Laila, soon arrives at their home.
The relationship between Mariam and Laila is one of mutual distrust at first, then slowly blooms into one of friendship and loyalty. They both become victims of Rasheed’s cruelty and rage, and in their despair and loneliness, find solace in and bring out the best in each other. A short time later, Mariam discovers she is pregnant and determines that she will keep and love the baby, despite Rasheed’s wishes for her to abort the pregnancy.
Meanwhile, in the same city, a young man named Tariq falls in love with Laila. Tariq’s family is comfortable and lives a more cosmopolitan lifestyle than most of the citizens in Kabul. Tariq and Laila marry, but their love is short-lived - during a Taliban raid on their home, Laila is injured and Tariq is killed. Faced with a series of heart-wrenching tragedies, Rasheed blames Mariam, who gives birth to a baby boy shortly thereafter.
The Taliban’s oppressive rule continues, and the three are eventually forced to flee Kabul. After a series of harrowing events and struggles, Rasheed eventually succumbs to his anger and causes Mariam to take drastic measures that uncover some of the darkest parts of her past.
The strength of this novel lies in the way Hosseini captures the psychological effects of a war-torn society and how individuals respond to it. He successfully illustrates both the horror and the hope that can be found in the same environment. By creating a sense of realism, he conveys the unwavering faith of the protagonists Mariam and Laila and the courage and resilience it takes to face the myriad of horrors inflicted by a violent regime. In the story’s climax, both women’s stories converge in a climax of violence, hope and redemption.
A Thousand Splendid Suns is an emotional, yet thrilling story of two women whose unbreakable bond shines through the anguish and despair they experience in a terrifying political regime. Through immense struggle and emotional turmoil, Mariam and Laila manage to find peace in each other and in their newfound strength of character. It is Hosseini’s unique insight into their lives that makes this unforgettable novel one that you must experience for yourself.
