Book review: 'A Thousand Splendid Suns' by Khaled Hosseini

I was really not interested in reading this book for a long time and kept procrastinating. I am still unable to figure out the reason behind it. But when I finally decided to pick this book up and started reading it blew my mind away and has become one of my favorites.

I had heard so much about Hosseini's 'Kite Runner'. But even if I am going to read it in the future 'A Thousand Splendid Suns' will be me favorite of Hosseini's works.

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a story of the oppressed. It's about how the people were affected when there was a political crisis in Afghanistan back in the 1990's. The thing I loved the most about this book is that the author tells the story through the lives of two women.

Set up in the world of women the book goes on to talk about their happiness and hardships. Hosseini leaves the readers amazed with his ability to construct two characters that are so similar but yet so different. Both Mariam and Laila go through same things but take it in a different way. 

Even though Hosseini regards the novel as a 'mother-daughter' story, the book glorifies the relationship between a daughter and her father. Every woman out there will know the emotional bond that a daughter and father share is so special (well, not more than that of the bond with mother) and the characters also feel the same.

This is a simple and engaging book.The novel keeps us so close to the characters. When you read, you will be able to feel their pain and happiness. Also an emotional one(the letter at the end got me crying) and will make even the hardest of heart cry. 

I consider 'A Thousand Splendid Suns' as a must read for everyone (even if you don't like to read).

In the Acknowledgments section, Hosseini speaks about the Afghan women and says, "What are her hopes, her longings, her disappointments? A Thousand Splendid Suns is in some ways my attempt at imagining answers to those questions. It's my attempt to explore the inner lives of these two fictional women and look for the very ordinary humanity beneath their veils". Indeed, this is a masterpiece.