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)

one of the best books in the world................

couldn't pause the book, the book is so good that five stars just isn't enough.

An eye opening story.

I really appreciated the perspective this story has to offer. This is a very well written book and one I will suggest to anyone!

Memorable

I finished listening to this a couple of weeks ago but keep thinking of the main characters. The two initial stories merge in a most compeling manner.

A must read!

I really did not know what an impact this book was going to have on me, it was such an enlightening lesson on how life is so different for these women then mine and all happening at the very same time the only difference was that I was born in America and they in Afganistan. I loved the book and can,t wait to read The Kite Runner!

Loved it

my favorite book i ever read you really connect to the characters and feel what they are feeling

Excellent

Excellent follow up to the Kite Runner. It puts the view of living in the Middle East from a women's perspective.#TorturedHero #RippedFromTheHeadlines #tagsgiving #sweepstakes

Hosseini does it again

When an author comes up with a story as powerful as "Kite Runner", one expects to be disappointed with subsequent offerings. But Kahled Hosseini has done it once again. This is an excellent book told by a master storyteller and narrated beautifully by Atossa Leoni. Two thumbs up!

What a Ride!

If you love to follow events of historical significance and appreciate the social and psychological implications of those historical events, you will love this book. The characters are well developed and multi-dimensional. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I'm sorry it is finished

This is one of the best novels I have ever read. The author's writing is descriptive yet not tedious -- and the narration only added to the experience. It was just that -- an experience. I was so drawn to the characters and their stories that I, like so many other reviewers, was moved to tears several times. I was awed by the lives these women lived because they had no other choices and I was struck by the fact that, although this was fiction, it was probably very accurate. How fortunate we are to live in a country where women are respected and have choices.

Although it is not a "feel good" story per se, the narration and the writing style come together in such a way as to be captivating. It is an experience not to be missed!!

Beware!

Beware, this book will not be over when you've finished listening. It is an absolutely captivating tale of the life women endure in Afganistan. The characters are beautifully developed and woven into a tapestry of incredible beauty.