A Thousand Splendid Suns | book nook

Let me start by noting that this incredible book, is second in line to author Khaled Hosseini's first novel, The Kite Runner - which some of you may know is wildly popular, and is supposedly wildly amazing. I have been told by so many that I need to read The Kite Runner, and it is sitting on my bookshelf at this moment, waiting for me to pick it up. I think in part due to the rage I hear over The Kite Runner, I wanted to go against the grain, and read Hosseini's second book about Afghanistan, first.

A Thousand Splendid Suns is hands down, by far and by wide one of the most incredible stories I have ever read, in my life. I seriously question if The Kite Runner can top it. I also must say that I am not ready, not mentally or emotionally prepared to make The Kite Runner the next book I pick up. After finishing A Thousand Splendid Suns, and weeping uncontrollably throughout its pages - I'm simply not ready to move on from it.

My sister-in-law said to me before I started this book - "You're going to appreciate living in the United States so much more than you ever thought after you read this." - That was understatement. Hosseini does what seems impossible. Takes a fiction story of two remarkable Afghan women and leads you through their lives in a way that you will swear the story is real, truth, and written by those two women themselves. I can say without a shadow of a doubt, this book is one of the most well-written stories on any bookshelf any where.

Not only did I discover an appreciation for my own life, for my roots, for my spot in a small corner of the USA - but I feel I had my eyes opened to so much that happens in other areas of the world. This book was very hard, very difficult, and very painful at times to get through. I felt so much anger over parts of it. I'm slightly embarrassed over the amount of tears I shed over it. I wanted to go into this story, hop right in, just so I could hug these two incredible women, Mariam and Laila, and tell them how much I loved them.

Do I recommend this book? I can't say yes strongly enough. Just prepare yourself with a box of tissues. Again, this story is fiction, I know that, but I fully believe this fiction novel is every bit of truth at the same time.

5 STARS 5 STARS 5 STARS