Summer Reading- A Thousand Splendid Suns

This summer I set a goal for myself by vowing to read a minimum of ten books, and with the backdrop of a lazy summer morning, I found this feat easily accomplished. Among my favorite novels I read were Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, Sidney Sheldon’s Tell Me Your Dreams, Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love, Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones and Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None.

Very rarely do I chance upon a book that I am unable to put down. It is not because I am quick to judge a piece of literature and therefore find it inadequate, nor is it that I am difficult to please when it comes to reading; no, it is merely that I am often unable to directly relate to a novel’s central characters, and therefore, lose interest quickly. However, upon completing Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns, I was immediately overwhelmed by the depth with which I was affected by the text, so much so, that I was able to complete it in a single sitting. At the surface, it may seem odd that such a book would find itself drawing parallels to my own life, as it is centered around two emotionally and physically abused Afghani women who are forced to lead lives subservient to their despicable husband. Almost every chapter of the book brought about new upheavals for the heroines and nearly every page was filled with more tragedy and heartache. There were even numerous occurrences throughout the read where I found myself smudging the text with my own tears. To those reading the synopsis of the book, it may appear horrifically depressing and unpleasant, and, to a great extent, it is; however, if one is able to analyze past the gore and grief, and read deeper into Hosseini’s intentions, he or she would probably find the book as remarkably relatable as I did.

While it is true that I am neither abused nor a suffering Afghani wife, the words of Hosseini’s unforgettable piece of writing seethe with unstated deeper meaning. The underlying themes of hope, courage, friendship, inner strength, and freedom were what touched me the most.

I believe that the theme of friendship, or more specifically, sisterhood, is what kept me most enveloped. When both women first encounter one another, the reception is cold and neither is welcoming toward the other. One of the women is beautiful but the other is ugly, one is from a privileged background, the other is from the slums of Afghanistan, one has grown up surrounded by love, and the other has known nothing but rejection; essentially, the two women could not be more different. Still, in the harsh and unforgiving life the two of them lead, both begin to accept the other and realize that they need one another. Slowly but surely, the two build an inseparable bond, very much akin to the bond of sisterhood. While one of the characters uncovers her long-lost lover and finds that the embers of their love have been reignited, the reader is still much more interested in the sisterly love between the two women. Finally, the women prove the strength of their love when one sacrifices her life for the other.  It is the most emotionally charged moment in the book, and amidst all of the tragedy, the reader is left with a sense of true admiration at the ultimate sacrifice of love.

In the end, I think that it was one of the most remarkable stories I have ever read.  Despite the heart-rending tale, the glimmer of hope never fades away, and eventually, with the help of love, inner strength, and courage, both women find themselves liberated because of the emotional strength they provided for one another (632).