It's been awhile since I have read a book that was just a story, and I am now reminded of how much I love to read them! I came across this book while on an afternoon trip to Barnes and Nobles (one of my favorite things to do!) Last year, I saw the movie The Kite Runner and was really moved by it, so I thought this was a good choice. This is the story of two women who grow up in Afghanistan in the late 20th century. The book begins with one young girls story, then moves to another girl, and then continues to tell the story of their lives together as wives married to one husband. Their stories are full of hardship and oppression. They experience the transformation of Afghanistan from a place where they have a life of freedom and carefree childhood to a country in which women are treated terribly and forced to live in fear. Fear of their husbands, fear of the government, and fear for their own safety in the midst of a country full of warfare.
The way in which the author tells the history of Afghanistan through the lives of these two women is incredibly powerful because it doesn't seem like you are reading a history book, although you are learning all the history just the same, and from a very intimate perspective. The history element of the story becomes especially interesting when the day of September 11th is described. There were many times that my heart actually hurt while reading this story. The suffering and loss these two women experience is truly tragic, and I often felt a portion of this heartache right along with them.
It seems cliche to talk about how lucky we are in America to not have the same struggles as these women encounter, but I was reminded of this reality while reading A Thousand Splendid Suns. I am reminded of how blessed I am to be treated as an intelligent and worthy person. I am reminded how blessed I am to be able to go for a walk and enjoy my neighborhood. I am reminded of how blessed I am to have a job, especially one that is typically seen as a male role. Perhaps the biggest blessing I am reminded of is the blessing to be marrying a man who loves me and would never ever want to hurt me, a man who supports me in my dreams and helps me pursue them. So many women in our world do not have this experience.
Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in my own life, in my own relationships, and in my own future. These are the times that I need a wake up call to keep me humble and keep me grateful. Reading this book was one of those times. Although it tells a tragic story, there is a sense of hope in the end and a reminder that even in the midst of complete tragedy, we have been given the gift of love, and that we need to recognize this gift and enjoy it! I won't give away anything else, so I will close by highly recommending this very powerful book!
