Book Review – By Vijaylakshmi
Never have I ever picked up a Khaled Hosseini book in my life. I had an inkling that most of his books are war-time stories, and as it is understood, such stories are emotionally devastating at one point or another.
I had to pick up A Thousand Splendid Suns because of these quotes:
“A society has no chance of success if its women are uneducated.”
“Learn this now and learn it well. Like a compass facing north, a man’s accusing finger always finds a woman. Always. You remember that, Mariam”
Drawn to narratives that unmask the very soul of society, I felt an irresistible urge to get lost in its pages. The first couple of pages had me in tears.
It is a moving tale of two women (Mariam and Laila) set in wartime Afghanistan.
Mariam was born out of wedlock, and the tag of being an ‘illegitimate child’ pained her deeply because all she wants is to spend time with her father, who is the sun to her revolving universe. But her father (Jalil) is too cautious of his ‘meticulous reputation’ to be seen with her under the public gaze.
One day, when Mariam sets out to meet her father at his mansion in her best dress, her world takes a 180° turn and her mother commits suicide.
Mariam is devastated and left with a father who won’t even accept her. Mariam’s world is eclipsed forever when she is soon married off against her wish to a shoemaker named Rasheed, who later on turns out to be an abusive, controlling, and a misogynistic man. Honestly speaking, he was the character I disliked the most.
Then there comes Laila, the golden girl who is forever in love with Tariq, and her father was a soul to be revered forever as he wholeheartedly supported Laila’s education. But the war is a thief. Laila’s mother, Fariba, becomes “a body bereaved of a soul” after losing her sons, and just as the family prepares to flee for a better future, tragedy strikes.
A rocket renders Laila an orphan with nothing to call a home. With Tariq already gone to Pakistan, she is left with only a sweet, tranquilizing memory of love—and a devastating silence where her world used to be.
Read on to see how the currents of these two resilient rivers finally entwine. You might want to brace yourself—and perhaps grab a snack—as the spoilers are coming your way.
Laila finds herself at Mariam and Rasheed’s home recovering, yet longing for Tariq. Her despair deepens when a stranger (hired by Rasheed) arrives to deliver the devastating, yet false, news that Tariq has died in a hospital.
Soon after, Laila discovers she is pregnant with Tariq’s child. Trapped by grief, homelessness, and the need to protect her unborn baby, she falls prey to Rasheed’s manipulation and agrees to marry him.
We see two women deprived of education. War and vanity are indeed robbers of one’s light.
Mariam finds herself resentful of this decision and doesn’t get along with Laila anymore. Soon, a ray of sunshine named Aziza, with tiny feet and sparkling eyes come into their lives, and the reader witnesses the resentment evaporating, replaced with motherly affection.
After suffering from years of collective abuse at the hands of Rasheed and a government who is too adamant to even allow their women (50% of the population) to walk without a veil and without a male relative accompanying them on the streets, Laila delivers Zalmai in a women’s hospital devoid of resources and a veiled doctor.
Years later, out of the blue, Tariq walks into Rasheed’s house. Laila finds her feet leaving the ground in an instant, swept straight into Tariq’s warm embrace. Zalmai spills the tea about the encounter to his father.
Rasheed, fearing his ‘loss of control,’ channelizes his inner demon to take over Laila and is almost about to kill her when a tendril of courage blooms and Mariam strikes Rasheed on the head, dissipating the eclipse from their lives forever.
Mariam submits herself to the jury while paving a safe, unscathed path to a new life for Laila and her children. Mariam never received her fair share of love in her earlier life, but she dies with a comforting thought of being loved by Laila and Aziza (her daughters).
Later on, Laila settles in a hill station and marries Tariq. She dreams regularly of Mariam, so she ends up visiting Mariam’s birthplace, a kolba, and receives a long-held letter of Jalil’s intended for Mariam. Whilst reading the letter, Laila witnesses the walls of Jalil’s vanity shattering one by one and Mariam finally getting his acceptance in heart.
Laila rekindles a new future by teaching orphanage kids in Afghanistan.
Did I like the writing?
Absolutely yes, as it was simply phenomenal! I felt all the emotions of the protagonists, and it was a gut-wrenching read. This book didn’t just make me cry—it made me rethink what resilience really looks like.
My rating: 4.75 stars ⭐
Do I want to read more of Khaled Hosseini’s work?
Yes, maybe in the near future when I’ll find myself emotionally ready. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a truly unforgettable read.
It’s a kind of book that’s going to stay with you forever.
And I really hope you liked this little review.
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Happy reading 🙂
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