A Thousand Splendid Suns
By Khaled Hosseini
- Release Date: 2007-05-22
- Genre: Literary Fiction
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
Beautiful story
5By smilz123Heartbreaking and heartbreaking. What a great book!Beautiful and heartbreaking
5By Stickdudekiller12345678910Beautiful and heart breaking. I first read it as a friend, an Afghan refugee, recommended it as a very real depiction of life there during the war. I pray for the people of this embattled region that they may find peace.5 star book
5By FK aA lovely book. So much emotion. I’m a bit lost for words at this masterpiece.This book changed my outlook
5By GingrBabiI was 20 when I read this book for the first time in 2007, in my mind I was still a child but the outlook and knowledge I received after I actually comprehended this book was changed forever. This book places two women in the Afghanistan-American culture during a time of war. They are fellow wives, married to the same husband due to unfortunate circumstances in their own familial cultural differences and experiences. They go through so much horrid abuse but become so close and build their own friendship/family together during this crisis. A difficult life to live but they certainly make the best of it by having each other, it’s absolutely astounding to read. You are able to see their lives before during and afterward- it’s organized very well and it’s easy to keep reading. I finished it in a day and have read it many more times since! I encourage everyone to read this at least once to see the other side of things, for ones whom may not have that voice for themselves and the ability to be as “free” as others!10/10
5By Mariama47Amazing book! This book changed my life!!!A thousand splendid suns
4By Harold richardsonGreat book.Heart-wrenching
5By Mariam F. RazakHeart-wrenching. Easy to read and understand, and brings me to tears often.great book!
5By CjskillinThis book is beautiful, heartbreaking, and poetic. The book follows the lives of two different women, Mariam and Laila, as they grow up and live in Afghanistan. Their lives are far from easy and Khalil does a beautiful job weaving the Afghanistan culture, political climate, and refugee crisis with the main narrative of the novel. The book touches on the horror and destruction that humans are capable of and the beauty of life that can still survive it. I highly recommend this novel to someone who wants a story that will emotionally impact them with very realistic characters that you end up feeling immensely for. 5 stars.Gut wrenching, but powerfully told
4By mom eyesTo start off with, I don’t think this quite reaches the heights of The Kite Runner, although that’s admittedly a matter of personal preference. Anyways, yet another home run for Khaled Hosseini and another brutal, shocking portrayal of Afghanistan as it’s torn apart by war, but this time told from the perspective of two women. This book is incredibly powerful, but if you at all have a weak stomach or are of faint heart, this book is not for you. In terms of subject matter and events, it’s honestly one of the most intense and excruciating (In the best way possible) pieces of fictional storytelling I’ve ever seen.What a super read!
5By Leafy barbWhat a gifted writer. “A Thousand Splendid Suns” is as good as his other best seller, “The Kite Runner”. Perhaps even better. I can’t say enough good things about “A Thousand Splendid Suns”. They’re both fast paced. This one has more female lead characters. It takes place in horrible circumstances that will tug hard at your heartstrings. It may even make you shed a few tears. Most of all, it’s an absolute gut punch reminder of the lasting importance of kindness.
