A Thousand Splendid Suns

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"One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs, 

Or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her soul." - Khaled Hosseini

   The very last novel on my to-read list by Khaled Hosseini was non other than "A Thousand Splendid Suns". I have a lot of painful mixed feelings regarding this book, that's why I probably decided to give it a 3/5, though I wanted to rate it as a 3.5 but that's not possible. Now, as I read my way through this book, Hosseini successfully illustrated what it was like to live as a woman in Afghanistan, so much pressure, fear, stress, pain and very less care and affection. As an Arab woman myself, it hurt me to know how women on the other side of the world were being treated, yet there was nothing that can be done about it. 

   You see, there are Muslim women all over the world. We've got the American-Muslim, the Asian-Muslim, the European-Muslim and many more muslims. All ethnic groups and countries have their own beliefs and cultures, that's basically what makes them different than one another. The Americans have their own way of life, the English have their own way as well as the Arabs, but there's one trait that makes us all equal, regardless of the colour of our skin and language of communication, and that is Islam.

   Some people are very strict and super conservative, that's not right because on of the greatest traits Islam teaches us is to be right in the middle of everything. Not to take the top nor the low, but to try our best and be in the middle. In the book, the readers can see how strict that society is, and its reality, its inevitable. Life goes on for that matter, you have nothing but to pray for everyone in this world. 

   In this book, I felt really bad and in a lot of pain to read what has been happening to both Mariam and Laila, and its very true.  You do not always get the happy ending you dreamed of, what Mariam did in the end to her husband was a sign of courage, endurance, patience running out and simply courage. I praise her for that even though she was killed for that, but she did what she did. In reality, the situation of a woman at this state, she should not be faced with death as a result of her doing, some people refer to death as a solution, others let women like Mariam go because its considered as defence. 

   In the end of this book, I just gripped it so tight because of the pain it brought down, it made me want to do whatever I can possibly think of to provide help. More importantly feeling blessed was overwhelming, really.

   Anyways yet again Khaled Hosseini is just topping my favorite author's list because he was able to make me live in his novels and actually feel connected. 

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