1000 Splendid Suns

Thursday, August 18, 2011


This book is not for the faint of heart. It's heart-wrenching and beautiful, an incredible story.

The Jist:
It switches between the points of view of two women, Laila and Mariam, and tells their interconnected life stories growing up in war-ravaged Afghanistan from the 1970s until now.

Pros:
Beautifully written and completely engaging. I couldn't put it down.
I learned so much about what Afghanistan is like. I can't wrap my head around the nightmarish things that happen to innocent people there.
It offers perspective. Oh, how small my problems really are!

Cons:
It's terribly bittersweet. There's a whole lot of bitter, but it's real life. I actually consider that a pro; I don't like reading only sickly sweet stories with perfect endings.
Violence.

It gets a 5 out of 5 from me.
Read it. You won't be disappointed.

3 comments:

  1. This is one of my all-time favorite books. I love it so much!

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  2. I also loved it, but at times it was so disheartening that it was difficult to read. I preferred The Kite Runner for that reason, but still a great book.

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