Book review: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini; this extraordinary new novel by the author of the internationally successful, The Kite Runner is a journey through the lives of two Afghan women as they live out their individual destinies. The hardships experienced by the two central characters, Mariam and Laila, serve to remind us that suffering and oppression of women is like a disease that infects the future and breaks entire societies into warring tribal factions. What I found most impressive about Hosseini story telling is the absence of excessive sentimentality and pity for these women who are navigating through the norms of their cultures and the wars of the men of their country, Afghanistan. It would be easy for an author to paint a portrait of two victims but that would reduce and belittle the strength and ingenuity of these two women brought together by circumstances outside the realm of their control. Mariam and Laila could have been a story of daily triumph over circumstances in the inner city of anywhere USA or harsh life in a Canadian town, these two women struggling to survive and thrive in Afghanistan serves as a reminder for the rest of us that suffering may wear a burqa but always the heart of a woman beats underneath the mesh covering her indomitable spirit.

The common themes of human suffering, the struggle of women to be in control of their own lives, war and nationhood, domestic violence and political forces snatching away the rights of individuals and waging endless war; these are all themes being played out on the political and social landscape in North America. We are no different and no better than the state of chaos that Afghanistan continues to spiral into, our veneer in Canada and the United states may be glossier but the social ills and domestic struggles of women and minorities and natives to ensure equality in the eyes of the law are raging as strongly and valiantly as those of the vulnerable women of Afghanistan. It would be easy to look away from our messy back yard to reflect and attempt to control the disaster ‘over there’ but, ultimately it will be a fruitless endeavour as clearly demonstrated in A Thousand Splendid Suns; we are all human fighting to shine and at times fighting each other.

For me this was also a story of how we love one another so inadequately and with such brokenness that causes irreparable damage and hunger and yet we are giving what we have; like Miriam’s mother who is so damaged herself and loved her daughter in such a flawed manner that ultimately the only possible outcome is tragedy. I found myself wondering if this is why humans created a Perfect Loving God so that He or She may come in and fill the cracks where our failures to love one another without fail and without conditions. After voraciously consuming, A Thousand Splendid Suns, I could not avoid seeing the open gaping wounds and psychological trauma human love leaves in its wake, even with the best of intentions, only breeding a desperate need and desire to be loved better and more purely.

The archetype of the broken mother who then mothers brokenly and thus raising broken daughters who take their brokenness out into a struggling nation and world was ever present in the authors’ exploration of these female characters. How much blame and responsibility do we have the right to heap onto our mothers? They are ultimately victims of their day and age as well as participants in the drama of their personal destiny which unavoidably is interconnected with the larger scheme of world politics and global evolution of the species. Forgiveness is then required from the broken daughters of these limping mothers and this is the hidden shadow theme of this novel that takes us through the unfolding history of one nation and the microcosm of two of its citizens and specifically the characters of A Thousand Splendid Suns..

I highly recommend this book and the authors’ previous, The Kite Runner. Both will thrill, inspire, challenge and open your’ heart in surprising ways.

Rola Phoenicia is a freelance writer based in Cambridge, Ontario; she began her writing career a short few months ago and Ascent is her first literary publication. After spending years working in journalism, Rola found the truth in fiction.

Rola Pheonicia

Email: Rola Phoenicia

Return to Table of Contents