A Thousand Splendid Suns

Devastating. Touching. Just two words to describe this incredible novel by the author of "The Kite Runner." This time, Khaled Hosseini takes into the lives of two very heroic Afghan women. Two women of different generations, both forced into marriage to the same abusive man. Mariam is just 15 when she is forced to marry Rasheed, who was 40. Then 18 years later, Rasheed marries (for reasons that make more sense in the novel) Laila. Mariam is sort of a "mother/sister" to Laila. This story is about what they endure as women during the tumultuous times of war in Afghanistan during the 1990s and into today. There are scenes that are very moving, many that are very difficult to think about, and overall a story of survival. This is a must read.