The James Logan Courier

By Jasmeen Banwait, Courier Staff Writer

A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini

Country: United States
Language: English
Genre(s): Novel
Publisher: Riverhead Books(and Simon & Schuster audio CD)
Publication date: May 22, 2007
Media type: Print (Hardcover) and audio CD
Pages: 384 pp (first edition, hardcover)
ISBN: 978-1-59448-950-1

Khaled Hosseini, the author of the best seller The Kite Runner, has written another masterpiece.

A Thousand Splendid Suns tells the story of two women and their journey throughout life. Mariam and Laila are two women who experience much pain and injustice in their lives. Destiny brings the two together to be married to the same man, who abuses them without hesitation.


This novel describes the hardships that many woman face in certain parts of the world. It describes the necessity for a woman to be able to bear children and satisfy her husband’s every need and desire. The novel expresses the way women are labeled inferior when compared to men.

Although Laila and Mariam experience much inequality and unfairness throughout the novel, they both prevail and no longer allow themselves to be suppressed.

I really enjoyed this book. I’ve read Khaled Hosseini’s previous book as well, and I’ll have to admit that both books are on my favorites list. This novel was very intriguing, and it was interesting to read about the lives of women, especially in the Middle East. This book was definitely an easy read for me.

For those of you who enjoyed reading The Kite Runner, this novel is just as good and I definitely recommend everyone to read Hosseini’s second novel. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.