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robtwinem

runner

I live in Bristol UK literary fiction and crime are my books of choice and when not reading I like to run

Breathtaking

A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini

The history of Afghanistan is a bloody affair. A country coveted and fought over by powerful neighbours, ultimately disintegrating into tribal rivalry and butchery.

A thousand splendid suns is an outstanding read and within its descriptive storytelling we become acquainted with two very brave women; Mariam and Laila. Marian is forced into a marriage with a controlling and violent man Rasheed. When she fails to produce a longed for son and heir she is immediately discarded and forced to live a life of servitude confronted each day with a violent partner, in a country unable to recognize or accept the role and importance of women in its society.

When Laila enters this turbulent household, as an additional wife, she is forced to accept the tyrannical rule of Rasheed. Through all this pain Mariam and Laila form an unlikely friendship, a deep bond develops, and an outcome that is sad, happy and brutal in its execution.

A wonderful story,  a tough read and in its realism the reader has a glimpse of everyday life in a war-torn community. It ends with a message of hope, and the ultimate belief that love has the ability to conquer all.