Both stories belong to war-ravaged Afghanistan. Nonetheless, there’s a major difference in the plots. The Kite Runner is an unforgettable story set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of Afghanistan’s monarchy through the Soviet invasion, the mass exodus of refugees to Pakistan and the United States, and the rise of the Taliban. [break]
It’s a poignant tale of two boys: one conflicted, the other loyal; and their doomed friendship within a web of lies and destruction, followed by a powerful sense of redemption.
Propelled by the same storytelling instinct, A Thousand Splendid Suns is a remarkable chronicle of three decades of Afghan history – from the Soviet invasion to the reign of the Taliban to the post-Taliban rebuilding – and a deeply moving account of an endearing companionship between two victimized women bonded by a similar misery that surpasses the strength of any ties of blood. The novel is deftly divided into four parts, and each chunk is equally engaging.
Mariam is an illegitimate daughter of Nana, a simple housemaid, and Jalil Khan, a rich and prominent figure in Herat. Despite her mother’s repeated warnings and rebuke, Mariam worships the very ground her father walks upon. But her heart is shattered when, after her mother’s death, Jalil marries her off, at the age of fifteen, to Rasheed, a widowed shoemaker in Kabul. Feeling like a “weed” in her father’s perfect gardens, she’s forced into a loveless marriage of convenience where she’s constantly abused, insulted and tortured.
Laila a beautiful Kabuli girl. Her father, Hakim, is a well educated and progressive schoolteacher. Eventually, she falls in love with Tariq, her handsome one-legged best friend. However, due to the unforgiving times and the volatile political situation in the country, any normality in life becomes unimaginable. During this tragic sweep of war, Laila’s life takes a catastrophic turn, and there’s only a single beam of light that guides her to the end of the dark tunnel— Mariam.
Hereafter begins the heroic saga of a desperate struggle against starvation, violence, viciousness and fear when impossible becomes possible and unendurable becomes endurable with the one and only indestructible weapon – love.
A noteworthy aspect of the narration is a female’s point of view throughout the novel. Be it Mariam or Laila, the author never fails to capture the human – more importantly the female –sentiments, regardless of the circumstances. This story is about a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother, a woman, and above all, an individual with real thoughts, feelings, emotions, breaths and heartbeats. It’s a tale of innocent sufferers, ripped out from the comfort of their homes to be thrown into the clutches of an unknown fate where survival becomes a feat.
There’re quite a few instances that are worth mentioning. The part where Mariam finds herself insignificant compared to the “modern” women, Jalil’s remorseful letter to Mariam, the sweetness of Laila’s and Tariq’s relationship, the poetry learning sessions between Laila and her father Hakim as bombs and missiles fly relentlessly over their roof, Laila’s mother Fariba’s pride and grief for her “martyred” sons, the state of affairs during the birth of Laila’s son Zalmai, and her visits to the orphanage to see her daughter Aziza, the heartwarming connection between Mariam, Laila and her children, Laila’s nostalgic trip to Mariam’s childhood home, Mariam’s revolt, and finally her execution are some scenes out of the many that deserve sincere accolades.
Once again, Hosseini proves to be a master storyteller. Instead of sugarcoating real-life horrors, he presents them eloquently in an elegant Dickensian style, without losing the rawness of the haunting details. Every character has been created with a certain purpose which s/he serves dutifully.
The author questions, asserts, muses, sympathizes, dominates, submits, loves, hates, reveres, ridicules, regrets and rebels through the different characters. There’re a few portions where one might get a little lost, owing to the historical details. Nevertheless, in due course, even they blend into the story, leaving the readers feeling somewhat enlightened.
A Thousand Splendid Suns is a story of an imperishable love, an unlikely friendship, the yearnings of a family, and a life where happily-ever-after aren’t always guaranteed. It points out the scars and fissures that not just remind one of what’s been lost in the past but also pave an inspiring path to what’s to be gained in the future. It’s not just a narrative of wars, violence, injustice, inequality and fragmentation.
It doesn’t merely talk about a particular event, country, society or community. In fact, it’s a heart-wrenching saga of humanity, pain, suffering, endurance and rebellion. Above all, it’s a gripping tale that deals with the spirit of hope and optimism regarding the resurrection and reconstruction of a bigger and better future.
Lastly, here are the two lines of the poem, “Kabul”, by the 17th-century Iranian poet Saib-e-Tabrizi from which the title has been derived:
One could not count the moons that shimmer
on her roofs,
Or the thousand splendid suns that hide
behind her walls.
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Hosseini's 'A Thousand Splendid Suns'
