A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

I haven’t written a book review in a while, not because I have stopped reading, but more-so the fact I have just been lazy. However this morning after finishing the second novel of Khaled Hosseini (also wrote The Kite Runner), I felt implored to do so.

The reason I felt so strongly about this book is that at its core, this novel gives you an overview of Afghanistan from the time it was occupied by the Russians through the years of fighting by warlords and the Taliban, and finally into the most recent years after the bombings and the UN have arrived. However more than a simple history lesson this novel gives you insight into the lives of people who lived throughout these times. I really feel Khaled wanted to get that information out, so that people could understand (if even in a very minor sense) the changes the people of Afghanistan have gone through, and what they have had to deal with. The beauty of this novel is that this information is not the story, it is the backdrop to the story. The main story itself is a very compelling tail that will keep you wanting to read more. Thus with everything put together, you end up with a novel with an excellent story that due to its backdrop gives you an insight into a world you probably don’t hear too much about.

Of course the perspective you gain is from a single person, based on his own experiences and knowledge of the country, however it gives you hopefully a little more of a picture than the 30 second clips you see on TV.

Finally I just wanted to say, while I stand a little undecided on our involvement in Afghanistan, this book gives you a better understanding of what our troops are fighting for, helping to rebuild and the people they are protecting and looking after.

In the end while the story may not have been as good as The Kite Runner, I felt I gained so much more from this novel. It has left me with a better understanding of the problems faced in Afghanistan, the constant struggles the people must have gone through, and at the end a very small feeling of hope for the people living there.