Khaled Husseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once tragic and beautiful. The novel is about two women who endure unspeakable oppression.
The story takes place in Afghanistan in the years before 9/11, years that see the country go from freedom to Communism, to civil war, to religious oppression under the Taliban, and finally back to freedom. Under Taliban rule women had absolutely no rights: they couldn’t be seen in public without being accompanied by a male member of the family. In public, they were forced to wear a burka that covered their entire body. Women who had previously held professional jobs could no longer retain their positions. Female physicians could practice only in a women’s hospital, a poorly equipped and unsanitary facility. Girls could not attend school; art and singing were prohibited. The list of suppression goes on and on. Although many suffered, it was mostly women who bore the brunt of oppression.
The story begins with Mariam, the illegitimate daughter of a wealthy man. The man already has a family, but fathered a baby with an employee. Mariam lives in a hovel with her mother with no recourse for a decent life. While still a young girl, she is forced to marry a much older man, Rasheed, who has a business and house in Kabul.
Laila, on the other hand, is raised in Kabul by a loving family. She has friends and a boyfriend. She attends school, plus gets additional education from her intellectual father. The civil war shatters Laila’s life and she’s suddenly thrust into a world of cruelty and violence.
Mariam and Laila’s lives are woven together and are forever altered. Neither could imagine the potential of sisterly love, inspiration and loyalty, particularly in the face of beatings, humiliation, poverty, and extreme isolation.
A Thousand Splendid Suns is not a light read, nor at times even a pleasant read. Yet I consider the novel important as it offers not only an enlightening look at life under Taliban rule, but also the power of the human spirit. Khaled Husseini paints a grim picture, but also offers hope that decency can prevail.