The tale of Mariam and Laila, two Afghan women united by several tragic tosses of the dice, bond of common humanity and, above all, love, is a heartbreaking story. It is also a ride through the contemporary history of Afghanistan, as seen through the eyes of its powerless women.
This is master story telling – a credible tale, simply told. It hurts and uplifts at the same time. The sheer cruelty that we humans – in this case mostly men – are capable of inflicting in the name of misplaced understanding of duty, ideology, politics and, of course, religion is indescribable and so unforgivable. As I read the story, I felt the pain of a decent and warm-hearted people who are caught up in endless cycle of bloodbath. I know that emancipation of women or fostering of human rights is not among the strategic goals of the Western forces currently combating the Taliban, but having read A Thousand Splendid Suns I hope and pray that the Taliban never again return to power in this nation.
It is natural that curiosity and that natural propensity for passing judgements will drive many of us to compare this book with its predecessor offering by Khaled Hosseini. In my opinion, that exercise is neither necessary nor useful. If you were moved by The Kite Runner, be prepared for another emotional roller-coaster ride that is bound to leave you all churned up inside, yet – surprisingly – thrilled and happy.
