Mariam and Laila both navigate the expectations set upon them by the men in their lives. Moreover, there is a heavy prevalence of misogyny, which became prevalent as the book questioned the roles of women in society. In times of desperation and brutality, both women choose to prioritize the people they love, even if it means giving up their only chance of freedom. The book is also a testament to the immense sacrifices made for familial love. His prose is raw and emotional, diving directly into the violence occurring both in their home. Unfamiliar with Hosseini’s other works, I was startled by the grittiness of the novel as it recounts the two women’s lives in Afghanistan over the span of 30 years. Their lives intertwine under equally devastating circumstances, with their hometown Kabul’s progression into a world overtaken by the Taliban. The novel transitions to the perspective of Laila, who lives down the street, as she grows up amid the war against the Soviets.

She has been betrothed to a much older man, and their fragile relationship quickly deteriorates as he demands more and more of her as time wears on.

The novel begins in the 1960s, when Mariam is 15-years-old, shortly after the Soviets invade Afghanistan. “A Thousand Splendid Suns” by Khaled Hosseini is a widely acclaimed book that has recently gained attention from the teenage audience in conjunction with Hosseini’s debut novel “The Kite Runner.”

To close out the BookTok bookshelf for the year, I read a novel that has been on my reading list far longer than its popularity on the TikTok For You page.

Under a thousand splendid suns