A Thousand Splendid Suns came to life the moment I opened it. Khaled Hosseini is the author of this incredible book. This book was recently published in 2007 by ATSS Publications, LLC. It is classified into the genre of global setting fiction. This novel tells the story of two different lives forming together into one. A Thousand Splendid Suns has taught me a lot about life: from love, friendship, family and culture to cruelty, betrayal and redemption. This book was a definite page turner for me.

The purpose of this novel is to tell a story of how women of Afghanistan were treated by their husband and what life was like during the ruling of the Taliban. Kabul, Afghanistan sets the plot for this story. Life during the invasion of the Soviet and the reign of the Taliban in Afghanistan was horrifying. The two main characters are Mariam and Laila—two ladies who are at least two generations apart in age. Sharing the same husband gave them a bad relationship to start with. Eventually, it developed into a strong friendship.

As more and more people fled Kabul to a safer area, their family remained in their home. Rasheed is the husband of Mariam and Laila. Laila’s children are Aziza and Zalmai. Mariam and Laila’s relationship grew extremely powerful. Both of them had no choice in their marriage with Rasheed. Together, they struggle to fight Rasheed’s cruelty, while also trying to survive the dangerous Kabul. “The only enemy an Afghan cannot defeat is himself” (122). In my mind, I can see the way they lived in Kabul back then. I saw the struggles women had to face. I can picture every detail of the story from when Rasheed forced Mariam to eat rocks to when Laila threw a punch at Rasheed. Men in Kabul were free to do whatever they wanted to their wives. It was clear in my head when Mariam failed to give birth to her babies and Rasheed suddenly treated her like an animal he didn’t care about. Khaled Hosseini made it obvious that life was hard in Kabul at the time of the Taliban ruling.

The book has really given me a different view on life. The way this book was formatted gives it a more interesting touch. It starts with Mariam’s story, then, tells Laila’s story and smoothly combines the two together to make one story. Hosseini definitely had the purpose of this book appointed. In my opinion, this book was an accomplishment. There were no questions remaining at the end of the book, and there were no confusing parts. Although this book is really moving and real, I had no connections made with these two characters lives. This proves how different Afghanistan women’s lives were. I recommend this book to everyone. It will give you a better understanding of life.

A Thousand Splendid Suns was a world of unbelievable past. Everything about this book had incredible meaning. How Khaled Hosseini wove all of the parts together illustrated astounding effort. The book made me think about the importance of love, friendship and family. I wondered about the culture, the cruelty and the redemption. This was a life changing experience for me. “One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs, or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls” (347).