A Thousand Splendid Suns

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
What I liked: I liked the format of the book. The story switched between Mariam and Laila telling. I also liked that it skipped through the years. I enjoyed the history inside the story. These were events that fell within my life time and reminded me how little I pay attention to the world.

What I didn't like: The characters fell a little flat. They were caught during a very revolutionary time in Kabul, but neither one of them seemed to grow from it.

Final Thoughts: After loving the Kite Runner as much as I did, this book fell a little short of expectations. I read and finished it because I enjoyed the history, but there was no character motivation to keep me interested.

Pub. Date: May 2007

Synopsis: A Thousand Splendid Suns is a breathtaking story set against the volatile events of Afghanistan's last thirty years -- from the Soviet invasion to the reign of the Taliban to post-Taliban rebuilding -- that puts the violence, fear, hope and faith of this country in intimate, human terms. It is a tale of two generations of characters brought jarringly together by the tragic sweep of war, where personal lives -- the struggle to survive, raise a family, find happiness -- are inextricable from the history playing out around them.
Propelled by the same storytelling instinct that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic, A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once a remarkable chronicle of three decades of Afghan history and a deeply moving account of family and friendship. It is a striking, heartwrenching novel of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and an indestructible love -- a stunning accomplishment.

Recommended Reading:
Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen [unabridged audiobook] [NOOKbook]
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
Life of Pi by Yann Martel