I am a redneck Canadian who likes action-adventure, high fantasy, and hard science fiction who never in a million years thought I would ever read a book about women in Afghanistan. By fluke chance I picked this book up and couldn't put it down. You literally feel like you have been transported into Afghanistan and are right there with the two central female characters of the book, in their minds, wallowed in their emotions. This book broadened my worldview tenfold, and likely in ways I haven't even realized yet...

This was a wonderful book. I felt it took a while to get into it but all the details in the beginning were necessary for the story to evolve and help understand the characters through the book. I definitely recommend this book.

A couple of years ago I had the chance to read the astounding work known as 'The Kite Runner' by Khaled Hosseini. That novel was able to clench at my heart strings in a way that no other story had before. I found it inconceivable the notion that any other novel could come close to the impact that the 'The Kite Runner' had on me. Also I felt that a story of it's magnitude could not be duplicated nor replicated; so my expectations for Hosseini's second novel 'A Thousand Splendind Suns' were very low to the say the least. I didn't believe that he'd be able to recreate those feelings of character attachment again, and surely the story would pale in comparison to the former. I was very wrong! Mariam and Laila's journey through the years of war torn Afghanistan explores the difficulties of being a woman in a man's world. Taking a woman's perspective of that world instead of mans (i.e. The Kite Runner) and exploring the issue of war more deeply one finds that Hosseini seems to have a magical ability at storytelling. Pushed to tears, I reminded myself that both of his novels are works of fiction. However, especially in the case of the present book I could not overshadow the fact, that occurrences such as those in this book, are the realities for many Afghan women. Truly an amazing work; best enjoyed as a companion to 'The Kite Runner' rather than its rival!

Definitely a well written book. I really felt for the main character and all the trials and tribulations she faced at such a young age and then growing into an adult. Even though I read this book a few years ago some of the passages still remain with me. I would totally recommend this book!

You know when you read a book or see a film that has had great reviews and you finish feeling disappointed because it didn't live up to the hype? My experience reading this book was the complete opposite. I loved it. I didn't feel the message of the book was one of brutality or depression, but of hope and the toughness of the human spirit. There are plenty of awful scenes to lend credence to its reputation. While the story's time frame spans thirty years, the main focus of the novel are two woman, a generation apart, whose lives cross as they become the wives of the same man, Rasheed. The elder, Mariam, was born to a servant woman out of wedlock and is raised in banishment, ignorance and eventual rejection during the years the Afghani government was controlled by the communists. She finds herself forced to marry a much older man after her mother commits suicide. Laila, fifteen years younger and raised by intellectual parents, enters the marriage under much different circumstances. Alone after a bomb destroys her home and kills her parents, and pregnant by her childhood love who has fled the country, she marries Rasheed in a desperate attempt to save her unborn child. The writing engrossed me. Much like the Kite Runner, Hosseini magically puts the reader in the city, neighborhood and house of his characters. Much to his credit, I found myself torn between wanting to yell at Laila to hush up, so that she'd avoid another beating, and kicking Rasheed myself, because he is a despicable brute. Mariam, one of the most tragic characters in literature, makes this book what it is; a story of love and strenghth. She, who didn't have an easy day in her life, allows herself to be touched by the love of Laila and her children. In return, she performs the ultimate act of love and saves a family. I appreciate Hosseini's portrayal of a part of the world that is under so much scrutiny lately. Afghanistan, and the city of Kabul where the story takes place, have a long history of wars and occupations which result in a great chasm between different ethnic tribes, Islam, economic classes and gender. Hosseini uses this novel to tell the story of Afghani women and the hardships that face them with each regime change. As a woman, I feel blessed to have been given confidence and opportunities. I truly cannot imagine what it would be like to live under the conditions the women in this book live under. I am grateful to be born to the family I was born to and in a country which allows me to live the kind of life I choose. Miram and Laila didn't have the opportunities or support that I have. And yet they survived. They endured and they reached out to others, despite their circumstances. In this, Hosseini redeems all of Afghanistan by showing these two women's humanity. He shows that in a place whose beauty was written about in a 17th century poem, where "One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs and the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls" is a city that can become illuminated once again.

Though not a huge fan of contemporary fiction, I finally succumbed after reading several rave reviews and must admit I wasn’t disappointed. Face-paced and well-written, it is easily read in a few sittings. The story follows 2 women, Miriam and Laila, both born in Afghanistan but in different regions and hence very different worlds. Both their lives ultimately collide through the consequences of unrelenting battles, invasions and uprisings this country has undergone over the last half century. As both women endure unimaginable suffering and degradation, the story climaxes with the rise of the Taliban and its notorious intolerance and cruelty that will make any woman reader grateful to have had the extraordinary luck of living in a free country. What I took away from this story is that there is a culture to Afghanistan that is constantly overshadowed (or in some cases, destroyed) by its political issues. If nothing else, it compelled me to explore its history and unique culture a little further.

I really enjoyed this book. I learned a lot about Afghanistan and how much change it has gone through over the years. The story itself is of two different women whose lives end up connecting in the story. It is such a sad story and when you think it will start getting happier, it doesn't (but it does eventually!). The story itself has lots of unexpected turns and has you hooked the whole time. I shed tears reading this boo, but I absolutely loved it!

This book is incredible. The story captures you right from the beginning and keeps you deeply involved right through the entire book. Khaled Hosseini speaks of the absolute horrors of war and tells us of the strength of the innocent people caught in it's path. It is a touching story and an important one.

A devastatingly beautiful novel. One of the most magnificent pieces of literature I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Khaled Hosseini tells this story brilliantly. His words create vivid images of the horror that our friends in Afghanistan face daily. This is a true eye-opening novel that I would recommend to anyone. This story not only shows the power of extreme evil, but also the power of friendship and the sacrifices some are willing to make for the people they love. Be prepared to have your mind and heart opened and enlightened. An inspirational story for women, yet an important read for all.

What to say about this book. This was an emotional book to read. It really grabs your emotions. The true test of family, of friends and especially of women. I cannot believe what the women have had to endure in their life time. It astonishes me that they were able to bear so much and yet come out of everything so much stronger. I highly recommend this book. This book can't even be compared to the Kite Runner. I have to say this was much more emotional and heartfelt. Read it!