Khaled Hosseini gained notoriety with the international phenomenon that was The Kite Runner ( see review in archives). I enjoyed the novel but was not blown away by it. I judge the true strength of a book on how often and how well I remember it and make connections to it. With the Kite Runner I didn't feel that, but like I said it didn't make it an un-enjoyable read. A Thousand Splendid Suns however will stay with and haunt me forever. I think women will latch on to this story more just because it centers around two unintentionally strong women and deals with such deep emotional issues that only women can truly feel the empathy for in the pits of their soul.
This story finds us in Afghanistan following the life of Mariam, a young precocious harami, or bastard. She is the daughter of a wealthy cinema owner and the maid of his household. Think modern day Arnold schwarzenegger. The scandal would have rocked the very religious and strict community so Jalil sends mother and daughter off to live in a hut unsuitable for the two and had them live out of sight out of mind, with him making once weekly visits in an attempt to ease this guilt.
Later in the story we find a grown up Mariam, whose life can only be described as tortured, difficult, and heartbreaking, colliding with a young, beautiful, full of potential Laila. Little does Laila know the circumstances of their meeting will leave her and the reader wounded emotionally with only more blows to come. Laila and Mariam soon find themselves slaves to the same life and same hardships separated only by twenty or so years. This tale of two women who come together to try and salvage what life the cruel hand of fate has dealt them is a literary power house that will leave you inspired, heart broken, and full of indignation all at the same time.
Again here, as in all my posts, I don't like to give away too much of the plot lines because what I find most fascinating when reading novels are the things I never saw coming. And let me tell you, there is a moment in this book when literally my jaw dropped and I was simply dumbfounded. I'm just glad I wasn't in public at the time because I'm sure the face I made was not attractive. All through this novel there are moments that really hit home and actually connect with the reader, but this one in particular made my heart ache. I'm three days out from finishing this book and am still thinking about it constantly.
If there is only one book you are going to read this summer, I have yet to come up with a better recommendation than Khaled Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns. It is a quick paced, easy read, that seriously pulls deeply on every emotional stand of your heart and soul. This book will for sure be a repeat read for me sometime down the road and will continue to haunt me for many days to come. I quite frankly am surprised at how long the feelings have lingered but that is not a complaint at all.
P.S. This book came to me as a recommendation from a fellow lover of words, J. Clark. She has been redeemed ten times over. Thanks for this one.
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