A Thousand Splendid Suns
(Fiction)
By: Kaitlynn Gosselin
• Born in 1965 in Kabul, Afghanistan
• In 1976 he moved to Paris because of his fathers job and then moved to San Jose
California in 1980
• In 1993 Khaled graduated with a medical degree
• In 2003 he published his first book called The Kite Runner and it became an
international bestseller
• He now lives in Northern California and is working on The Khaled Hosseini Foundation
• provides shelter to refugee families and economic and education opportunities and
healthcare for women and children
Mariam
Mariam is first introduced when she was 15 years old. She lived with Nana (her mom) in the
Kolba on the hills above the city Herat. She has flat hair, closely set green eyes, a narrow
chin and thin lips. The novel is told in her point of view and she ages as the books goes on.
She marries Rasheed and is unable to have children.
Laila
Laila is introduced when she is 9 years old. She lives in Kabul and is in love with her
neighbor/best friend Tariq. She has curly hair, green eyes, high cheek bones and plump lips.
The novel is also told her Laila’s point of view and she also ages as the book goes on. She
ends up living with Mariam and Rasheed and having no choice but to marry him. She has 2
children Aziza and Zalmai and at the end of the novel she was expecting another.
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A Thousand Splendid Suns is about what was happening in Afghanistan for the last thirty years
with the Soviet invasion and the Taliban. Its starts off with Mariam’s life and then continuously
switches between Laila’s. 10 main events that happen in the novel are
Mariam leaves and her mom hangs herself
She’s forced to marry Rasheed and they move away to Kabul
Laila is introduced and she is in love with Tariq
Tariq’s Family moves due to the war
Laila’s father convinces her mother to move but they end up getting killed
Mariam and Rasheed find her, and she moves in with them but then marries Rasheed
Laila finds out she is pregnant but with Tariq’s child (Aziza)
Her and Mariam try to escape but is caught and beaten by Rasheed
Laila has another child but this time it was Rasheeds (Zalmai)
Rasheed beats Laila and almost kills her, but Mariam saves her and kills Rasheed. She is sent to
jail but then gets killed by the Taliban
Laila and Tariq move to Murree and then end up moving back to Kabul and expect another
child.
Likes:
• Tariq found Laila and they ended up getting married like they
planned.
• It was never boring, had so much going on
Dislikes:
• Mariam couldn’t have babies because then Rasheed wouldn’t
hate her so much
• How the book is written, kind of confusing at first
• Jinn- spirits mentioned in he Qur’an and Islmaic mythology who inhabit an unseen
world in dimensions beyond visible of humans.
They believe that the jinn entered her body that night.
• Pakol- a soft, round-topped men's hat.
He wore a brown coloured wool pakol on his head
• Tahamul- to endure
You only have one skill, and that is tahamul.
• Trellised- a structure of open latticework, especially one used as a support for vines.
His house had a balcony with a trellised ceiling.
• Kolba- a small shack.
On Thursday Jalil visited her at the Kolba.
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Ayat/Ayah- evidence or sign
He taught her every Ayat in the Koran when she was a child.
• The theme of this book was about 2 different people coming
together by tragic events and realizing that all they have is
each other. A lesson that I learned was to never stop believing
in something. In Laila’s case she knew that she was in love with
Tariq and that she wanted to marry him and even though she
went through many hard times, in the end they found each other
and they got married.
• Its about things that are actually happening in Afghanistan
• Interestingly written, not like a regular book with one main
character
• There’s always something new happening
• The Novel A Thousand Splendid Suns is a very interesting novel.
There was never a dull moment and there was always something
new happening. I thought it was different how the book was
written in two different characters views. It was a bit confusing
at the beginning, but as I read on it was no problem. I really
enjoyed reading this novel and if anyone liked The Kite Runner I
would definitely recommend this book. I really like Khaled
Hosseini’s novels because he writes about things that are
actually happening in the world. I would give this novel 4 stars.
• If I could change the title I would because I never really
understood why it was called A Thousand Splendid Suns. I
would change it to something like When two souls come
together because that’s really what this novel is about. Two
people coming together and surviving hard times.
http://www.khaledhosseini.com/hosseini-bio.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
http://dictionary.reference.com/