[BWF and Steeplechase] A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini 4 stars

[Sue]

Set in Afghanistan from the 1960s through the early 2000s, this story follows the lives of two women Mariam and Laila.

Mariam is the illegitimate daughter of a wealthy man and one of the servants in his home. After Mariam is born, she and her mother are ostracized. While Mariam's father is still a marginal part of her life, she eventually is sent away to marry a much older and abusive man in Kabul.

Laila is the young daughter of Mariam's neighbor in Kabul. I don't want to give any spoilers away, but the relationships between Mariam, her husband and Laila change the course of all their lives.

The backdrop of war is almost another character in the book. The invasion by the Soviets, their eventual defeat, and the rise of Islamic extremists plays an overwhelming role in the lives of every character in the book. The level of violence on both the national and personal levels was heartbreaking.

[Joy D]

Glad to see your positive review. I was so impressed by this book that I gave it one of my rare 5 stars.