Every Afghan story is marked by death, loss and unimaginable grief. And yet, people find a way to survive, to go on." (p.350)

A story of love, friendship and hope set amidst war. An intriguing and at times confronting book that gives insight into a woman's life in Afghanistan and the impact of the Taliban. Loved the narrator Atossa Leoni. ( )

Boka handlar om Mariam som berre er femten år når ho vert send til kabul for å gifte seg med ein 30 år eldre mann.nesten tjue år seinare rammar tragedien femten år gamle laila som som også vert ein del av Mariam si ulukkelege familie.med tida utviklar dei eit sterkt venskap. Taliban tek over styret i Afghanistan og kvinnene vert utsett for store påkjenningar. Det er eit fyrverk av ei bok.Hosseini skriv på ein måte som tek deg med inn i den verda han skildrar. ein føler ein er der, kjenner lukter, smakar m.m. Eg synes boka var kjempegod

2008 ( )

This was a difficult story to relate to because I've never experienced anything close to the hardships and set backs women were faced with in the struggle of the lives in Afghanistan and Kabul. Polygamy is normal in those country's. Women were not allowed to be educated and their life was to serve their husbands and bear children. Women were forced to accept a a brutal lifestyle of being forced to to live in the same house as other women they didn't know with the same husband. The poverty level in which they lived and the starvation they endured were outrageous and abhorring because they weren't allowed to work. This story was heart wrenching, and I believe is a must read for all women. This book is a reminder of how much we take advantage of even the simplest things, like food and shelter, in our lives.

After devouring the story, characters, and prose of "The Kite Runner," I was a bit hesitant to read Hosseini's second novel. Friends told me not to worry that "A Thousand Splendid Suns" was the equal of "Kite Runner "and in some ways better, and I have to agree. This novel delves into the plight of women in the Middle East during the time of the Afghanistan War and beyond. The author makes you angry, sad and happy in the course of a few pages if not sentences. Where "Kite Runner" revolves around two boys growing into men, "A Thousand Splendid Suns" takes you on a feminine journey. ( )

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 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. ( )

Truly awesome. Loved every page, loved every line. Two great women protagonists. Beautiful characters. ( )

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'. ( )

Vond het teleurstellend. Had er veel meer van verwacht na het lezen van de vliegeraar. Er zijn genoeg boeken met dit thema en het verhaal was nogal voorspelbaar. ( )

liked this one so much more than kite runners ( )

A beautiful story of two woman's lives in war-torn Afghanistan. There is so much strength, misery, and despair in this book, I found it very painful yet hopeful at the same time. The human will to live and strive for more is amazing and stronger than any cruelty we can force upon each other. The two characters in this book, Laila and Mariam, demonstrate that with their bravery and their dedication to each other. ( )

After reading Kite Runner, I became an ardent fan of Khaled Hosseini's work. In Kite Runner, the story was touching and one got to see Afghanistan at the time of turmoil and the life of 2 boys, bounded by love and blood. Of course, I was a bit skeptical, about his second book and there was always a fear as to whether his 2nd work will be as good as the 1st one. But what can I say, this one sucked me in from the 1st chapter. I can tell you, the reason for my fear was the blurb. God! It doesn't do any justice to this lovely story... I am glad I picked it up inspite of not finding the blurb interesting.
The story is of Mariam, Laila and such women in the times of war-torn Afghanistan. It is sad... it is horrible! This one will always be a reference book for me, as it gives you a good outlook of the political environment in Afghanistan during the late 80's and early 90's. I never knew so many things about Afghanistan, as I have learned from this one book. How there were equal opportunities for women there as well and how they destroyed the nation and the people mostly women. The only thing that kept many people going was the hope of something better with each invasion.

"I'm sorry," Laila says, marveling at how every Afghan story is marked with death and loss and unimaginable grief. And yet, she sees, people find a way to survive, to go on. Laila thinks of her own life and all that has happened to her, and she is astonished that she too has survived, that she is alive and sitting in this taxi listening to this man's story.
-pg. 350

It is hurtful to see the way women were treated. You could feel the pain, the torture and the hurt that each new regime put down on the women there. Women were once respected and loved there...but then they were ordered not to be out of house at all. This way if they were widows, there was no way they could earn for there children. There was no way they could do anything but die of hunger.

There are men who are loving and not cruel at all but there are those who are just like Taliban.
I can't go on without giving away the story. This book reminds me why I like reading books by authors from other nations. And this one also helped realize, how blessed our life is here.

Lovely writing and great detailing of the life there. If you like multi-cultural fiction, and would like to see the life in Afghanistan till the US and the UN reached there to help them out in the 2000s, you must read this one. Highly recommended! ( )

This novel is about two women growing up in the 1980s to the present day in war-torn Afghanistan. This novel highlights their struggles with abusive men, the subordination of women, and dealing with the grief of death. This novel is really well written and really puts actual events into perspective because most people do not know what daily life is like in Afghanistan. I really liked this book because I like the writing style of Khaled Hosseini (author of The Kite Runner) and he adds enough suspense and twists to keep the plot interesting. Although this is fictional, it is based on true events which really is scary to think about. ( )

Amazing. Breathtaking. Gut wrenching. In this novel by Hosseini, he tackles the lives of women of Afghanistan, especially two special women. Through their eyes we see not only the rise and take over of the Taliban, but also of the every day domestic lives of women. A story not to be missed. It will change you. ( )

Two Afghan women, Mariam and Laila, are brought jarringly together by war, by loss and by fate. ( )

Mariam tem 33 anos. Sua mae morreu quando ela tinha 15 anos e Jalil, o homem que deveria ser seu pai, a deu em casamento a Rasheed, um sapateiro de 45 anos. Ela sempre soube que seu destino era servir seu marido e dar-lhe muitos filhos. Mas as pessoas nao controlam seus destinos. Laila tem 14 anos. E filha de um professor que sempre lhe diz: "Voce pode ser tudo o que quiser." Ela vai a escola todos os dias, e considerada uma das melhores alunas do colegio e sempre soube que seu destino era muito maior do que casar e ter filhos. Mas as pessoas nao controlam seus destinos. Confrontadas pela Historia, o que parecia impossivel acontece: Mariam e Laila se encontram, absolutamente sos. E a partir desse momento, embora a Historia continue a decidir os destinos, uma outra historia comeca a ser contada, aquela que ensina que todos nos fazemos parte do "todo humano", somos iguais na diferenca, com nossos pensamentos, sentimentos e misterios.

UN preciosa historia, me encanto el personaje de Laila ( )

If you want to read a better book by this author then read the excellent kite runner.
The book is good but I found the characters difficult to engage with.
I also found the story at times implausable
I was sad that I didnt like this book more but there you go. ( )

Hoe vrouwen onderdrukt worden in het huwelijkin Afghanistan. Een heel bijzonder boek dat ook gaat over verbondenheid onder vrouwen. ( )

A wonderfully written story of two women's experiences in war-torn Afghanistan. Heart breaking in it's vivid depiction of their struggle to survive war, religious persecution, famine, and an abusive husband, the book is an brilliant reminder of the suffering and strength of the Afghan people. Congratulations to Khaled Hosseini: well done. ( )

Estremecedoras vidas de personajes impecables. Y, me temo, que ha sido y es una dura realidad en Afganistán. ( )