Again skilful storytelling that made me want to read on and on. The relationship between Tariq and Laila was very beautifully written. But there was something bugging me about the plot.

SPOILER ALERT: I felt the author dedicated too many pages on the physical and sexual abuses lain on the wife. I was uncomfortable reading about the women's domestic suffering again in Part 2, was it necessary to mention the violence and humiliation over and over? No, it was disgusting, unpleasant and repetitive.

Some of the decisions the characters made just didn't seem 'right'. Mariam dared to run away from her Mother, why not from Rasheem, instead of suffering 20 years of his tyranny? If I was Laila I would probably top myself before I tie the knot with Rasheem. Laila and her Babi should've left town at the same timeTariq did; you just don't sit around and wait for your mentally unstable mother/wife to make crucial decisions when there is a war going on outside your doorstep. Tariq asked for her hand before he left town, why did she turn him down?

Kite Runner's plot seems more plausible. ( )

Hoffert, B. (2007). A thousand splendid suns. Library Journal (1976), 132(5), 58. Retrieved October 29, 2009, from Article Citation database.

Huntley, K. (2007). A thousand splendid suns. Booklist, 103(13), 39. Retrieved October 29, 2009, from Article Citation database.

A book that will leave you lost for words.Khaled speaks the truth about the way women are depicted in the Muslim world and is not really afraid to share it with the rest of the world...but with care and precision as not to offend anyone. A must-read if you have appreciation of world cultures. ( )

I liked it because the girl actually lived in the book. ( )

A tragic story about two women living in Kabul through the Russian invasion and the Taliban uprising. Unrelenting horror forms a large part of their lives not only because of the invasion of their city, but the brutality of their sadistic, violent husband. Whilst the story gave some signs of hope and gentle optimism, much of it revolved around the futility of hope. Whilst I'm sure there are many Rasheed's, not only in Kabul but around the world, I eventually stopped being interested in scenes he figured in because I found his character overplayed ... I almost stopped caring. Think this book is great for raising awareness but wouldn't recommend it and preferred 'The Kite Runner'. ( )