Product Description

Mariam is only fifteen when she is sent to Kabul to marry the troubled and bitter Rasheed, who is thirty years her senior. Nearly two decades later, in a climate of growing unrest, tragedy strikes fifteen-year-old Laila, who must leave her home and join Mariam's unhappy household. Laila and Mariam are to find consolation in each other, their friendship to grow as deep as the bond between sisters, as strong as the ties between mother and daughter. With the passing of time comes Taliban rule over Afghanistan, the streets of Kabul loud with the sound of gunfire and bombs, life a desperate struggle against starvation, brutality and fear, the women's endurance tested beyond their worst imaginings. Yet love can move a person to act in unexpected ways, lead them to overcome the most daunting obstacles with a startling heroism. In the end, it is love that triumphs over death and destruction. "A Thousand Splendid Suns" is an unforgettable portrait of a wounded country and a deeply moving story of family and friendship. It is a beautiful, heart-wrenching story of an unforgiving time, an unlikely bond and an indestructible love.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2038 in Books
• Published on: 2007-05-22
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 384 pages

Review
'A beautifully crafted and disturbing story of two women victims of the wrath of men. As unforgettable as The Kite Runner, this novel places us in Afghanistan with an open heart' Isabel Allende 'I loved this book - I couldn't put it down and read it in one sitting. It is incredibly moving and a real insight into the madness and suffering of Afghanistan - in particular its women' Fiona Bruce 'Hosseini proves his credentials as a superstar storyteller. This follow up to The Kite Runner will have fans rampaging into bookshops desperate for their copy. Yet again he weaves a masterful story around the lives of two extraordinary and compelling characters brought together in adversity' Mariella Frostrup 'At long last, Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns in which the universally adored author of The Kite Runner returns with a study of love and self-sacrifice in a modern Afghan family' Sunday Telegraph

Stephanie Cross, Daily Mail
`A gripping tale ... It is, too, a powerful portrait of female
suffering and endurance under the Taliban'

Natasha Walter, Guardian
`Anyone whose heart-strings were pulled by The Kite Runner should
be more than satisfied with this follow-up'

Customer Reviews

I can't put this book down!
I got this book yesterday afternoon and I have already read 34 chapters out of 51! I have told friends about it and even convinced one friend to buy The Kite Runner and read it so that we can both swap them over in a couple of weeks. After one night with this book,I have transformed from a person who never reads to a person who initiates book clubs.

broke my heart
Being a chick lit girl all my life, i was never interested in harsh reality books, i wanted the fairytale, where i could drift away, happy knowing my heroine would get the guy. That is until i read A thousand spendid suns. I had never read The Kite Runner, and knew little of the author but just reading the back of the book alone was enough to change my ways. Straight away i was drawn into the book, and i couldnt put it down once i picked it up. I found it incredibly difficult to stop at the end of each chapter and for a few nights i ended up getting just 4 hours sleep!It seems i couldnt stop until exhaustion rendered me completely useless! The story about the lives of these two women in war-torn afghanistan really opened my eyes and the fact that it is all so very real makes it all the more heart wrenching. I have never cried so much over an ending of a book before and am now on everyones most annoying lists both at home and at work, not just bacause i cant stop talking about it but because i keep recommending it to everyone who will listen! For anyone who doesnt want to read this book because 'its not your type of thing' do yourself a favor, if theres one book that will change your mind, and your outlook on life, its this one.

Fantastic, sad, and eye opening
I have read The Kite Runner in 3 sittings and was left in a daze for days. As soon as I heard of this book by the same author I got my hands on this to fill the void left by the Kite Runner. It is addictive to read and I had to finish it to find out what happened at the end. I was left saddened and felt that I was going through a mourning process as the characters have left an effect on me. It is extremely sad that what women go through in this story is taking place still in reality, especially in this day and age.

Khaled Hosseini is a fantastic author and I hope he writes many more books to show the world what the people of Afghanistan are really going through because of war.