KEY POINTS:
Khaled Hosseini's second novel (his first was the very popular The Kite Runner), set in war-torn Afghanistan has all the elements that make for an enthralling read: thwarted love and displaced souls against a background of political upheaval.
Over several decades, A Thousand Splendid Suns charts the lives of Mariam, an illegitimate, unwanted girl who lives with her mother in poverty while her rich father lives in luxury a few kilometres away with his 'real' family; and Laila, whose father has high hopes for her and tells her she can be anything she wants. That is, until the Taliban's rule of terror. Educating females is banned and women can no longer sing, dance, play cards, paint, or even laugh in the street. They must be accompanied by a male relative whenever they appear in public.
Both Mariam and Laila are trapped in hopeless situations that seem impossible to break out of. But when their lives intersect hope is resurrected and they are offered the chance to escape. Hosseini's expressive prose transcends the horrors he exposes, and his compassion for his blighted country and its victims radiates light.
*Bloomsbury, $37.99
- Detours, HoS
