A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, a review by TorontoGyal

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
A review by TorontoGyal

A Thousand Splendid Suns, written by Khaled Hosseini is a novel about two women growing up in war-torn Afghanistan. Mariam and Laila come from two different worlds, but as their lives and a series of events progress, they find themselves together, remembering what it is like to feel love and have hope. Chronicling the lives of the two women over a thirty year span, the novel is able to give readers an insight on life of women growing up in a male-dominated society.
Afghanistan’s tumultuous history serves as the backdrop of Hosseini’s novel.
The plot of the story runs parallel to the country’s timeline within the last three decades. As conditions in Afghanistan go from bad to worse, so do the lives of the novel’s two protagonists. Although the novel is a work of fiction, Hosseini’s use of historical references make his story more realistic and allows the reader to have a better understanding of what life is truly like for characters Mariam and Laila. “In Kabul, particularly in western Kabul, fires raged, and black palls of smoke mushroomed over snow-clad buildings. Embassies closed down. Schools collapsed” (Hosseini, 207).
Furthermore, the way in which the novel is structured – in a series of parts – gives readers an intimate look at the individual characters and their developments. Parts One and Two are dedicated to Mariam and Laila respectively, while the last two Parts are shared equally amongst the two. Hosseini carefully develops his two main characters so that when the women meet in the last half of the novel, readers can fully understand how the two truly complete one another. The structuring of the novel and the use of historical events makes the plot more realistic and enhances the story.
Through the use of historical references and the structure of the novel, it is clear that Hosseini is trying to sketch the strong impact war has on a person’s life. The lives of the novel’s characters are shaped by the conditions of Afghanistan in various points in their history, “Because of the war, all the money ran out and hunger began to cast a pall over their lives. Death from starvation suddenly became a distinct possibility” (Hosseini, 272).
The Soviet invasion and the rise and fall of the Taliban regime prove to be the factors behind the experiences Mariam and Laila face throughout the novel.
A Thousand Splendid Suns is a breathtaking story that encompasses many of the real life circumstances women in Afghanistan have been facing over the last thirty years. Not only does Khaled Hosseini do an excellent job of creating an extremely interesting plot that engages readers from beginning to end, his use of imagery and descriptive language add to the realism of the characters and their thoughts and feelings. Incorporating elements of friendship, love and war makes Hosseini’s novel relatable to many around the globe and a “must-read” for bookworms alike.

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