I’ve always been attracted to books portraying strong female characters. The first book I loved was Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin in my pre-teens. We studied it for our literature class. After that I was a regular at the school library. I had discovered the magic of books. I loved reading Nancy Drew and I was amazed with her abilities to solve mysteries and the fact that she was the ‘Hero’ made me love her stories even more.
I gradually moved on to reading other genres, but my most favourite were the ones where women overcame challenges and shone the brightest. A few of my favourites are: Not Without My Daughter, Desert Rose, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo among many others.
Khaled Hosseini’s ‘The Kite Runner’ was a book that me cry and I naturally couldn’t wait to read his second adventure ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’.
“One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs and the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls” – Kabul – Saib Tabrizi
Khaled Hosseini’s second outing in 2007 is a captivating tale encapsulating the lives of Mariam and Laila, two women born 20 years apart married to Rasheed. The story is set in the stunning backdrop of Afghanistan in the 60’s and journeys to 2003.
One is not born, but rather becomes a woman – Simone de Beauvoir
Mariam
The protagonist of the story Mariam is born in 1959 near Herat, Afghanistan. She’s Jalil’s illegitimate child from his housekeeper. Mariam spends her childhood with her mother Nana in a small hut on the outskirts of the main town. Jalil tries to overcome his guilt by bringing small gifts for his child during his weekly visits. Mariam is always subjected to verbal backlash from her mother who constantly reminds her of her underprivileged birth but on the other hand Jalil talks about the beautiful world beyond her mud home. Mariam’s young and restless mind constantly conflicting between guilt and intrigue wants to explore the world outside. She secretly wants to spend all her time with her father who she thinks loves her and is yet keeping her away.
On her 15th birthday, Mariam against her mother’s wish leaves home for Herat to visit her father Jalil who lives with his legitimate family. Mariam is stopped from entering Jalil’s house. Humiliated, heartbroken and devastated, she returns home only to find her mother hang herself dead. Jalil knows she has nowhere to go and gets Mariam married to Rasheed, a shoe maker in Kabul, who’s 30 years older than her. Mariam feels sad and infuriated by her father’s decision. She feels unwanted and rejected more than ever.
She remembers her mother’s words: Each snowflake was a sigh heaved by an aggrieved woman somewhere in the world. That all the sighs drifted up the sky, gathered into clouds, then broke into tiny pieces that fell silently on the people below. As a reminder of how people like us suffer, she'd said. How quietly we endure all that falls upon us.
She becomes more accepting of the circumstances as Rasheed is a very loving husband and showers Mariam with presents and love. Mariam in turn enjoys her position of a legitimate wife over the constant humiliations she’d faced in the past as an illegitimate child. Her happiness is short-lived when she has several miscarriages. Rasheed begins to unveil his contempt as a result. His transition from a loving husband to a violent and abusive man leaves Mariam distraught.
Laila
The women with the highest walls have the deepest love.
Laila, is born to Rasheed and Mariam’s neighbours. Beautiful and intelligent, she’s raised by her schoolteacher father, but dismissed by her mother who loves her two sons more than anything. She finds solace in Tariq, her childhood friend. Young love blossoms in the beautiful mountains bejewelled with pomegranate orchards. Laila’s love knows no boundaries despite Tariq’s disability. Having lost a leg in a landmine accident at five, Tariq finds unconditional love in Laila. Due to growing insurgencies Laila has to drop off from school and her dream to educate and break free from the hostile surroundings is short-lived.
Laila’s life takes an unexpected turn when Tariq’s family decides to leave Kabul due to growing hostility. The young lovers in the throes of passion have a moment just before Tariq’s departure. Shortly after, Laila’s parents lose their sons and decide to leave their home to put the trauma behind them. But they are killed in a bomb explosion moments before they’re about to get away from the war-torn town. Laila is rescued by Rasheed and Mariam.
She’s about to come to term with her parents’ death when she receives the devastating news that Tariq is no more. She is shattered and loses her will to live. But she realizes that she is pregnant with Tariq’s child. So, when Rasheed asks Laila to marry him, she accepts his proposal in an attempt to pass off the child as Rasheed’s. Laila wants to hold on to Tariq’s memories. Her courageous decision to marry a man old enough to be her father speaks of the immense sacrifices a young girl must make to stay alive.
Mariam and Laila
Mariam, however, is doomed and gets hostile towards Laila and Rasheed’s attempts to calm his wives are in vain. Laila births a baby girl Aziza; her husband is once again disappointed at his ill luck. He begins to suspect Laila. His hatred towards the baby girl is palpable when he refuses to even glance at her. Mariam and Laila’s love for Aziza bring them closer and they begin to fill the voids in each other’s lives. They soon form a bond and start planning an escape. Their attempt is futile when Rasheed finds them and punishes them brutally, making them prisoners in their own homes. They find solace in each other and their bond becomes stronger.
The Taliban comes to power imposing their misogynist rule. Laila in the meantime is expecting a second baby. This time it is Rasheed’s. She births a son, Zalmai. In an unfortunate incident Rasheed’s shoe shop burns down. He tries to make ends meet but cannot hold a job. Mariam’s and Laila’s lives take an ugly turn when Rasheed decides to send Aziza to an orphanage to reduce the burden and Zalmai on the other hand is spoilt rotten by Rasheed.
Fate decides who comes into your life, your heart decides who stays.
Tariq, in the mean-time, has had a lucky escape and is alive. He lives temporarily in Pakistan working as a janitor in a restaurant. In a pivotal turn of events, Tariq shows up unexpectedly at Laila’s doorstep one day. When Rasheed comes to know of their visitor, he tries to kill Laila in a fit of rage. Mariam tries to stop him but ends up killing Rasheed with a shovel in order to save Laila’s life. The girls soon realise that the Taliban would not spare women who’ve killed their husband even though in self-defence. In a heart-wrenching move Mariam asks Laila to leave with Tariq and the kids in a hope that they’ll find a better life, away from the unforgiving circumstances. She wants Laila to live her dream of breathing in a free world outside her little hut, and is willing to sacrifice herself so Laila can finally enjoy freedom. She gives herself up to the Taliban and is beheaded in a square for killing her husband.
Laila and Tariq escape the Afghan borders and flee to Pakistan. They work together and take care of the children. Tariq’s joy knows no bounds when he knows the truth about Aziza. A liberal Tariq is accepting of Zalmai and helps Laila bring up the children.
After the September 11 attacks, the American Army bombs Afghanistan, resulting in the Taliban losing their stronghold. Laila and Tariq long to return home and after a year come back to a more peaceful Kabul.
The book beautifully provides an insight into the innumerable perceptions of freedom. Freedom and it’s several interpretations: to love freely, to have free will, to break away from shackles, Mariam wanting to break free from her mother’s constant reminders of her unfortunate birth, Laila’s desire to love freely and Tariq’s liberating and free-thinking views, the freedom to be happy and more.
The book is deeply moving and takes you on an emotional rollercoaster which makes it a compelling read, wanting the reader to do good by Mariam.
“I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being with an independent will” – Charlotte Bronte.
Sharada Kore
Visiting Faculty, ELTIS