Kim M. (Eucalia) reviewed on 11/14/2008 + 52 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 6

Hosseini is a born story teller. His characters have depth and his settings pull you in. But the story he has to tell in A Thousand Splendid Suns is not a happy one. Basically this is a story of what it has been like to be a woman in Afghanistan for the past 30 years. Although it ends on a hopeful note, there was very little happiness throughout the rest of the story. Women are living in squalid conditions in constant fear, not allowed to go outside without an escort, having to go to separate hospitals that are so underfunded that they have no anesthetic and are forced to reuse rubber gloves. Without enough money to feed their families, women are forced to watch their children starve to death or else give their children up to orphanages where they will be fed. It's hard to believe that people are forced to live this way. After reading this I was inspired to donate to Hosseini's charity of choice, The UN Refugee Agency. This is a great story both for entertainment value and educational value. I recommend you read this, but don't expect that it will make you happy.

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