A Thousand Splendid Suns

Rating: 4 (187 votes)

Tags: Set in Afghanistan Male author

Description:

Propelled by the same superb instinct for storytelling that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic, the #1 New York Times bestseller A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once an incredible chronicle of thirty years of Afghan history and a deeply moving story of family, friendship, faith, and the salvation to be found in love. “Just as good, if not better, than Khaled Hosseini’s best-selling first book, The Kite Runner.”—Newsweek Khaled Hosseini returns with a beautiful, riveting, and haunting novel that confirms his place as one of the most important literary writers today. Born a generation apart and with very different ideas about love and family, Mariam and Laila are two women brought jarringly together by war, by loss and by fate. As they endure the ever escalating dangers around them-in their home as well as in the streets of Kabul-they come to form a bond that makes them both sisters and mother-daughter to each other, and that will ultimately alter the course not just of their own lives but of the next generation. With heart-wrenching power and suspense, Hosseini shows how a woman's love for her family can move her to shocking and heroic acts of self-sacrifice, and that in the end it is love, or even the memory of love, that is often the key to survival. A stunning accomplishment, A Thousand Splendid Suns is a haunting, heartbreaking, compelling story of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and an indestructible love.

Reviews:

Karen Beeler (2 years ago)	17 Jan, 2023 Good
Amber Erickson (1 year ago)	17 Mar, 2024 Beautiful and sad.
Allison Norris (1 year ago)	26 Aug, 2024 Currently listening on audiobook and enjoying so much!
Paula Gonçalves (10 months ago)	20 Nov, 2024 AMAZING book
Kelly0102 (6 months ago)	22 Mar, 2025 As a western female this book created a visceral response in me. The treatment of some of the women angered me so much I thought I may not be able to finish the book, especially since I know how accurate it is among too many regions in the world. I did finish the book and was somewhat placated by the hopeful ending (despite the Taliban retaking control in recent months and their closing of all women‘s schools). This book reveals some of the beauty of Afghan culture, mixed with the sorrow of what seems to be a never ending war. It reveals an underlying theme throughout all parts of the world, which is that the majority of people just want to get on with living their lives. It is beautifully written and has multiple characters to which the reader can create an emotional bond. But, to me, it also reinforced my dislike for people and practices that place one person‘s life (i.e a man‘s life) above another person‘s life (i.e. a woman‘s life).
Janine Bensadon (6 months ago)	28 Mar, 2025 One of my all time favourite books. A Thousand Splendid Suns is a masterpiece that explores the lives of two women, set against the backdrop of Afghanistan's violent history. The book is about the struggles and brutality faced by women and about the bond that grows between them.