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)

A Book Everyone Needs to Read

absolutely love this book. I have listened to it twice. It's a book we all need right now, it gives you so much perspective. Remarkable story.

A very good book

I can't tell is an amazing book, but is entertained and makes you very but very happy for being a woman in not Muslim country.

Wonderful

I loved this audio book and story. I listened to this on my commute and, have to admit, I actually found myself excited to hit red lights so I could maximize my time in the car to hear more of the story. I like fiction but often listen to non-fiction. This of course was fiction but with enough history/facts thrown in to learn a lot about history of Afghanistan. Highly recommended.

A must read story for females.

An eye opening story that intertwines two lives so well. I could not stop listening. The emotion is raw and the characters are lovable.

An absolutely incredible story

So happy my girlfriend made me read this book. It gives a perspective that is very much needed

Marvelous, passionate,beautifully written and read.

We loved this book. Couldn't stop listening. The reader was excellent. the story unique, dramatic, informative.

Awesome read

This is truly classic literature representing an amazingly creative and visual story. The writing puts a human face on the Afghanistan people, culture, and tradition. The narrator, Atossa Leoni does a superlative job drawing the listener into the story.

Great book, strong story, will get more books from this author.

I purchased this book after I fat fingered the wrong selection, but with open mind decided to give it a try. Boy am I happy I did.
Not been born in the US allows me to picture the scenes as if I was there.
Thanks.

A splendid book.

Beautifully written and narrated. I couldn't turn it off. A lesson in the futility of war but hope for a better tomorrow. Highly recommend.

Not to be Missed

The high quality of the writing is matched by the expressiveness and perfectly rendered narration. A more intimate and revealing view of life than in his first book, Hosseini delivers character studies that are believable, poignant and authentic. I knew the end of the book was inevitable, but I dreaded it---I wanted it to go on and on and on. My highest recommendations for both the novel and the narration.