A Thousand Splendid Suns

By: Khaled Hosseini

Narrated by: Atossa Leoni

Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

Propelled by the same superb instinct for storytelling that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic, A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once an incredible chronicle of 30 years of Afghanistan history and a deeply moving story of family, friendship, faith, and the salvation to be found in love.

Born a generation apart and with very different ideas about love and family, Mariam and Laila are two women brought jarringly together by war, by loss, and by fate. As they endure the ever-escalating dangers around them, in their home as well as in the streets of Kabul, they come to form a bond that makes them both sisters and mother-daughter to each other, and that will ultimately alter the course not just of their own lives but of the next generation. With heart-wrenching power and suspense, Hosseini shows how a woman's love for her family can move her to shocking and heroic acts of self-sacrifice, and that in the end it is love, or even the memory of love, that is often the key to survival.

A stunning accomplishment, A Thousand Splendid Suns is a haunting, heartbreaking, compelling story of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and an indestructible love.

©2007 TKR Publications, LLC. All rights reserved (P)2007 Simon and Schuster Inc. All rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"Another searing epic....[Hosseini's] tale is a powerful, harrowing depiction of Afghanistan, but also a lyrical evocation of the lives and enduring hopes of its resilient characters." (Publishers Weekly)
"Unimaginably tragic, Hosseini's magnificent second novel is a sad and beautiful testament to both Afghani suffering and strength. Readers who lost themselves in The Kite Runner will not want to miss this unforgettable follow up." (Booklist)

Second was a great as the first.

This is the second novel by this author I have read. I find myself immersed in the stories and in the culture of Afghanistan even though I have never seen that country. I thought having two points of view might diminish the story, but it did not. I also thought the author, an Afghan man, might not be able to voice the points of view for two women, but he did. He is truly a gifted writer.

Slow start but gets good

It's pretty good I would give it a chance it's kind of heavy -- made me cry

Moving Story

This was an excellent and meaningful story, I love this author and the narrator was great as well. A definite read if your on the fence!

Worst reader ever

Monotonous worst reader I’ve ever heard. The book was great. The reader was not bearable

Gut Wrenchingly Beautiful

Plot, Character Line, Movement through each hard topics, this book had it all. Amazing story

Intense, heartfelt, and good closure

Wasn’t sure where this book was going, but after The Kite Runner, figured I wouldn’t be disappointed. I wasn’t. It was a well written history of a country I only read about in the news, and the story of two women who became each other’s family. Really enjoyed this one.

Just wow

A lot of people in the reviews complained about the narrator and I don’t think she’s nearly as bad as people are saying. Yes she is a bit monotone and could put more emotion behind certain events. Maybe different voices but the way it’s written I don’t think it’s bad. The book was extremely powerful and extremely well written just wow the emotions I’ve felt during this book. If it had a better narrator idk if I could of taken it!

Powerful and moving

One of the books that will stay in my heart forever. Teach us powerful lesson of life and gratitude.

Beautiful story.

This was a beautiful story. It was very eye opening and neat to see other perspectives from this timeframe.

Outstanding storytelling

Best when narrator is at 0.85x speed. Once the speed is to your liking, it is hard to stop until the finish.