A Thousand Splendid Suns!

A voracious reader that I am, I read almost anything and everything I can lay my hands on. But obviously I do have my favorites too. I love books which are realistic... Books which evoke all the senses in the reader. Recently I read A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS by Khalid Hosseini. If you read the book you won't be surprised why this book is a best seller. This book so beautifully deals with the plight of women in Afganisthan, an issue much talked about. It is a fiction in a factual way. Sounds like an oxymoron but the imaginary tale is not really make-belief. The names and the events are twisted but they bear a strong resemblance to the real events in the lives of women in Afganisthan. It shows the quandry of women wedged between their youth and their husband's fading youthfulness. Most of these women are forced to marry men twice their age for reasons most unjustified. In the process they lose their adolescnece to these male chauvanists. But the women there are so dependent on the male members of their families that there is little they can do to improve their quality of life. Starting from the common man to the government, everyone isto blame for this distressing plight of the fairer sex in this sexist country.
But there is still a ray of hope. And althought this book shows the dark side of the life of Mariam (one of the two protagonists), Laila (the second protagonist), however, manages to find peace with her lover. So it is dark and optimistic too. Though one would feel terrible about Mairam, Laila's happiness comes as a relief.
Its a great read. Its one of the best books I have ever read in my life. For all those unaware souls, KITE RUNNERS by KHALID HOSSEINI is an awesome book too. These two unique books are worth cherishing for a lifetime!