Summary
A Thousand Splendid Suns, published in 2007, is the second novel by Afghan-American author Khaled Hosseini. Following the success of his debut, The Kite Runner, this powerful New York Times bestseller chronicles 30 years of Afghan history through the lives of two women while exploring themes of family, friendship, and survival amidst war and oppression.
Plot
Spanning from the 1960s to the early 2000s, A Thousand Splendid Suns illuminates the struggles of women in Afghanistan through the intertwined stories of two complex and courageous female characters, Mariam and Laila. The novel opens in the relatively peaceful city of Kabul with Mariam, an illegitimate but wanted child. At age 15, when her mother dies, she is forced to marry the much older and domineering Rasheed. Years later, in the mid-1990s, Mariam meets Laila.
Laila becomes Rasheed's second wife out of desperation when, like Mariam before her, she is only a teenager. After her parents are killed and her lover, Tariq, is presumed dead, Laila marries to protect not only herself but also her unborn child. As they endure Rasheed's abuse and the oppressive rule of the Taliban, Mariam and Laila forge a strong friendship.
As conditions worsen, Mariam and Laila attempt to escape to Pakistan but are caught and severely punished by Rasheed. When Laila later reunites with Tariq, who is still alive, Rasheed discovers their meeting and violently attacks Laila. Mariam intervenes. What follows is an act of incredible courage and sacrifice.
Themes
The resilience and strength of Afghan women
The impact of war and political turmoil on everyday lives
The power of love and friendship to provide hope
The cycle of abuse and oppression of women
The struggle between tradition and modernity in Afghan society
The bonds between mothers and daughters
The search for identity and belonging amid cultural upheaval
Setting
A Thousand Splendid Suns is set against the backdrop of Afghanistan's tumultuous recent history, spanning from the 1960s to the early 2000s. The story takes place primarily in Kabul, Afghanistan's capital city, but also ventures to Herat in the country's west. This sweeping timeline allows Khaled Hosseini to explore the impacts of successive regimes and conflicts on Afghan society, from the fall of the monarchy through Soviet occupation, civil war, and Taliban rule.
The novel's two protagonists, Mariam and Laila, come of age in vastly different eras. Mariam's early life in the 1960s and 70s unfolds in a relatively peaceful Afghanistan, though one still deeply constrained by traditional gender roles. Laila's childhood in the 1980s and 90s is marked by increasing instability and violence as rival factions battle for control of Kabul. Their stories converge in the mid-1990s as the Taliban imposes its harsh interpretation of Islamic law on the city.
Throughout the narrative, Hosseini vividly portrays Kabul's transformation from a cosmopolitan city to a war-torn landscape. He takes readers from the bustling shops of Shar-e-Nau to the Soviet-built microrayon apartment blocks and the mud-walled homes of poorer neighborhoods. This shifting urban terrain serves as more than mere backdrop—it becomes a character in its own right, shaping and constraining the lives of Mariam, Laila, and countless other Afghans as they struggle to survive in a city under siege.
Characters
Mariam: An illegitimate child born in Herat in 1959. She is forced to marry the abusive Rasheed at age 15 and becomes a mother figure to Laila.
Laila: Born in Kabul in 1978 to educated parents. Marries Rasheed after her parents are killed, becomes close with Mariam, and has two children. Later marries her childhood love, Tariq.
Rasheed: An abusive shoemaker who marries both Mariam and Laila. Cruel and misogynistic, though he dotes on his son Zalmai.
Tariq: Laila's childhood friend and love interest. Loses a leg to a landmine as a child. Reunites with Laila after years apart and marries her after Rasheed's death.
Nana: Mariam's bitter, mentally ill mother who commits suicide when Mariam leaves to find her father, Jalil.
Jalil: Mariam's father, a wealthy businessman who rejects her as an illegitimate child. He later regrets his actions toward Mariam.
Hakim: Laila's progressive, educated father who encourages her schooling. Killed in a rocket attack with his wife Fariba.
Fariba: Laila's mother, who becomes depressed after her sons die fighting the Soviets. Neglects Laila and is killed alongside Hakim.
Aziza: Laila and Tariq's daughter, born while Laila is married to Rasheed. Briefly sent to an orphanage during a famine.
Zalmai: Laila and Rasheed's son, who idolizes his abusive father. Eventually accepts Tariq as a father figure.
Quick facts
The novel’s title comes from a 17th-century poem by Saib Tabrizi about Kabul, which refers to “a thousand splendid suns” hiding behind the city's walls.
Khaled Hosseini was inspired to write about Afghan women after seeing burqa-clad women begging on the streets of Kabul during a 2003 visit.
The novel spans nearly 45 years of Afghan history, from the 1960s to 2003.
Hosseini had to rewrite the manuscript five times before it was complete.
The book became a #1 New York Times bestseller for 15 weeks after its release in 2007.
A Thousand Splendid Suns sold more than one million copies in its first week of publication.
The story is told from the perspectives of two women, Mariam and Laila, born a generation apart.
Hosseini considers it a “mother-daughter story” in contrast to his first novel The Kite Runner, which he saw as a “father-son story."
Columbia Pictures purchased the film rights in 2007, but as of 2022 the movie remains unproduced.
The first theatrical adaptation of A Thousand Splendid Suns premiered in San Francisco in 2017, and an opera version debuted in 2023.
About the Author
Khaled Hosseini is an Afghan-American novelist and former physician who has become one of the most widely read authors in the world. His debut novel The Kite Runner (2003) became an international bestseller and launched his literary career. His subsequent novels, A Thousand Splendid Suns (2007) and And the Mountains Echoed (2013), were also critical and commercial successes. All of Hosseini's novels are at least partially set in Afghanistan and feature Afghan protagonists, drawing on his heritage to provide insight into the country's history, culture, and the challenges faced by its people.
Born in Kabul in 1965, Hosseini spent his early years in Afghanistan and briefly in Iran before his family sought asylum in the United States in 1980. He went on to study biology and medicine, practicing as a doctor for more than a decade before dedicating himself to writing full-time.
Beyond his literary achievements, Hosseini is deeply committed to humanitarian work. He serves as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and founded The Khaled Hosseini Foundation, which provides assistance to people in Afghanistan. His experiences visiting Afghanistan as an adult, decades after leaving as a child, have informed both his writing and his philanthropic efforts. Now making his home in Northern California with his family, Hosseini continues to write and advocate for refugees, using his platform to raise awareness and provide support for those in need.
