I am a few pages from finishing this book and figured I'd pass along my impressions for the benefit of those interested in some good holiday reading or a gifting idea. "A Thousand Splendid Suns" was reviewed by NYT back in May. A friend gave me her copy a couple weeks back saying, "You've gotta read this". I figured, yeah, sure. I need something to put me to sleep at night. Well, this wasn't the one!
The book is a fascinating character study of women in Afganistan growing up, living, marrying, surviving and dying from the 1950's to the present day. In detail, you suffer with them in arranged marriages, in secreted education, in domestic travail, and under smothering burkas. You see their lives painted against the background of historical events such as the coup that put the Soviet puppets into power, the coup that put the Taliban in to power, the US occupation that put Karzai into power and all the anarchy that existed in between; all this from the perspective of the powerless, but determined, women who were considered not much more than men's chattel for much of their lives.
The New York Times review does the book much justice so I won't try to review it, per se. Rather, I'm content to say that it was a wonderfully, well-written story that captivated me. It created one of those moments that enlightened me and I came away from a session of reading, a slightly different, more informed person.
Each time I was able to put it down, I gained some more insight into the plight of people (especially women) in the Middle East. I felt so close to the characters that it was almost as if I was reading letters from family members! Miriam, one of the two major characters, represented a generation of Muslim women exposed to education and enlightenment but denied it's benefits due to lowly birth and economics. The author skillfully weaves her life into that of Laila, another victim of birth as a "lowly woman", and lays out a beautiful tapestry tale of these two lives, loves, and suffering.
Frankly, I didn't have much sensitivity to events in Afganistan, Pakistan, Iran and Iraq. Most of my concepts were formed and related to the news and headlines; the current events. My knowledge and awareness was more political than anything else. But, this book took me to a human level where I could see the people, visit inside their heads and homes, see their lives played out in daily details, taste their chai and rice, sense their touch, experience their love, hate, and indifference. It helped me understand the Muslim and feminist experience at a very fundamental, human level.
Now, I plan to get his other book: "The Kite Runner"
If you're looking for a good read and/or a good Holiday gift (it's still Hannuka), this is one I can highly recommend!
(I hope this wasn't too short for a diary. It's my first. Ta DA! Thanks.)