A Thousand Splendid Suns

Propelled by the same storytelling instinct that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic, A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once a remarkable chronicle of three decades of Afghan history and a deeply moving account of family and friendship. It is a striking, heartwrenching novel of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and an indestructible love, a stunning accomplishment.

Source : Goodreads

I can't say how much I've been wanting to read this book after I finished The Kite Runner. You wanted to know how hard fate can strike into a woman? You wanted to see how tragical it is to every woman once once a man accuse innocent ones? It brings up another reality to every woman in Afghanistan. How hard it was to live in a life full of uncertainties. 

The story begins with a war, full of deadly or fatal war as you can imagine. Mariam always admire her father, she felt loved in all ways, unlike her mother that treats her the other way around. As her innocence and curiosity went through, it leads her into a dreadful situation. Her mother committed suicide and she was forced to marry an old man. She can't believe how her childhood slips away from her. Every corner of her life was made into cell. Her married life brings darkness upon her, all of the things that her mother warned her, it all straight went through upon her life.

Then comes Laila, a lady that has been created to shape a new change for the fate of Kabul. Her father believes in her, in everything that she can be into the future. Even her friends knows how Laila can bring a difference to everyone. And Laila believes that in herself to. She knows that someday a woman can stand up for herself, that every one of them have infinite courage within their hearts. When her brother died from a war, her family was heartbroken at the core, especially her mother. They went to another place to reside in, but as fate strikes on them which killed her parents it leads her into Mariam. These two character suddenly brought up a transition of living a life full of tragedies and surviving through it.

As from the beginning of the story, I was strucked on how it depicts a unique way of showing the unconditional love of a mother. There was a part wherein Mariam's mother said to her that she'll die if she'd be gone in her life. It's threatening, of course. To feel that you're life depends on someone, but in some way, it feels very comfortable for me. I admired how Khaled Hosseini created a mother like that. She may seem brutal and harsh but at some point, I understand what she went through. The downfall of falling in love into a wealthy young man then being refused at the same time, it's totally hard to endure for every woman. But even so, Mariam's mother endured all of it. But as some stories are told, there are crushing tales that every character faces. I ached the way Mariam felt to be loved, all she did was being compassionate to everyone but in return she received pain. It displays how reality and love can be extreme. 

Laila on the other hand, she also felt the same pain but Laila was all mixed up. Her thoughts were full of dreams on being unique in all ways. Her courage for her family, for Aziza, Zalmai, Mariam and Tariq, is very infinite. She never loses hope inspite all of it. She may felt fear but as soon as she knows that there are people that will stand up for her, she's can do anything just to be with them. 

 Alternating from their lives and point of views within the story is such a brilliant experience to read. Because (1). There is such a great love story behind this tale full of pain and remorse. (2) You can feel the screaming thoughts of the characters. (3) You'll see how miserable it was that these characters lived with lies. (4) Everything about this book just show reality upon every woman. That's it.  And last (5) You'll feel very sad with every character. 'TIS SO SAD. I SWEAR.