A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS.

I had heard many rave reviews on Hosseini's first novel The Kite Runner and came across his second, A Thousand Splendid Suns, with one goal in my mind: I wanted to have a real cry. One of those books that truly move you, pulling on your heartstrings until you bawl like a child.

Having gone into this book with zero expectations; I must say that it stunned me in ways I could not have anticipated, such as me having to physically put down my book for a moment to comprehend specific parts I had just read. When I reached part four, I burst into tears and wanted to close the book but a part of me wanted to continue. So I did. My heart has developed a special connection with Mariam, Laila, and little Aziza. Each word of the book made me feel the emotions, the pain, the suffering, and the small moments of joy in their lives.

Set in Afghanistan from the 1960s to the 1990s, spanning from Soviet occupation to Taliban control, following the lives of two women in their marriages and in their war-torn country. Expecting domestic abuse, graphic war descriptions, and a main theme of oppression in Afghan women, I was satisfied- yes, I wept. And so shall you but not for the reasons you would expect. A Thousand Splendid Suns cover much more than the aforementioned.

"Mariam was five years old the first time she heard the word Harami." The book catches the readers to peep into by this initial assertive phrase.

The title of the book comes from a poem composed by Saeb-e-Tabrizi a Persian poet. The main plot seemed to fill my criteria

The novel is split into a dual narrative, the first being Mariam when she is nine, living on the outskirts of Herat with her bitter mother, anxiously in wait for the once-a-week visits from her wealthy father. Branded a harami, an illegitimate child, Mariam faces many prejudices and blame not only from the family of her father but also from her mother. Hosseini introduces a naïve child whom you immediately pity, and also feel a foreboding clutch the pages. Not soon into the story, Mariam discovers the emptiness in her father's love and after her mother's suicide, is forced to marry a man more than 20 years her senior, her being only 15.

You blink several times. You squirm. You cry out in outrage. But Hosseini isn't finished.

Rasheed is a kind man, albeit rather archaic in his manner and grumpy, but all things considered, Mariam's life does not seem so terrible anymore. Until the miscarriage. And then the continual miscarriages.

Domestic abuse? Yup, I knew there must be some somewhere.

However, Hosseini does something new. You pity the husband, for his past is one with sorrow much like Mariam's- it does not justify his actions- but you feel sympathy for his situation.

Then comes the second narrative- Laila. An innocent young child with a best friend who is a boy, a family torn by the war that steals her brothers away from her and in turn her mother's affection. Orphaned, and torn from her love, Laila agrees to marry Rasheed. The stories of these two wives will make you gaze in awe at the sheer strength of love in desperate times.

Through the novel Hosseini weaves in information about Afghanistan's situation nevertheless it is only here that it takes a role in the story. Yet he makes sure that it is never a driving force in the novel- that is for the voices of these two women. Both trying to make do, muddling through life trying to find joy through the gloom, one innocent yet hiding a terrible secret and another bitter with age and resenting her life. Both still with a glimmer of hope in their eyes as they embark on a great journey.

Hosseini's writing is simple, and that is all it needs to be, a welcoming contrast to Mariam and Laila's complex situations.

By the end, you are not only left with a tear but with a fire lit within. It is above all a story of hope and of life, the heroism that comes with love, and the inevitable strife that comes with living. Inspirational and outstanding, every man and woman must read this tale.

I have read a lot of novels, among them there are only three which I can say held my attention throughout and had me moved! A Thousand Splendid Suns is one of them. It's not just a book, it is a collection of emotions, feelings, wants, desperation, hope, and longing. I was blown away. The book will help you love your own life, and be thankful for the people you have. It's a heart-wrenching story. It made me stay the nights awake and read just a little more. This is a book that will tug at your emotions and immerse you in such a dark and horrible life that you won’t be able to stop yourself from feeling sympathy for the women, poor, and homeless of Afghanistan.

If you enjoy books that take you on an emotional rollercoaster or books that educate you with their tales, then I’d highly recommend this novel. If you just love good books, I’d recommend this novel too as it’s beautifully written. However, I must issue some trigger warnings of rape, physical and mental abuse, and even possible trigger warnings around war. This isn’t your jolly summer read. But it is, without a shadow of a doubt, worth every word on every page.