Part 1 narrates the story of Mariam's childhood; it is a very short childhood and only focuses on events significant to Mariam, such as her father's weekly visit to the kolba. Even though it only speaks of the first 15 years of her life, her story is told in beauty and detail. The author describes the environment that Mariam sees around her perfectly; relating smells, sounds and the feeling of the wind and dust on skin. Mariam was born a harami or bastard; her mother worked as a maid in a house and her father was the man of that house. She grew up in a kolba, hidden away from the poetic city of Herat; Jalil (her father) built it for them to assure himself that no one knew of his hidden child. Jalil visits her every week, and Mariam is convinced that her father is the greatest man on Earth; she loves him more than anything. Mariam's mother, Nana, who always crushed Mariam's hopes and optimism, kept warning her about their "lot in life". A few very powerful quotes of Nana are:
"There is only one, only one skill a woman like you and me needs in life, and they don't teach it in school... Only one skill. And it's this: tahamul. Endure..."
"Learn this now and learn it well. Like a compass facing north, a man’s accusing finger always finds a woman. Always. You remember that, Mariam."
"She remembered Nana saying once that each snowflake was a sigh heaved by an aggrieved woman somewhere in the world. That all the sighs drifted up the sky, gathered into clouds, then broke into tiny pieces that fell silently on the people below. As a reminder of how people like us suffer, she'd said. How quietly we endure all that falls upon us."
Part 1 ends when her father betrays her to protect his pride and hide his shame. Jalil promised Mariam that he would take her to the cinema that he owned, so that they could watch Pinnochio together as father and daughter. But he lied, and when she runs away from her kolba and comes knocking on his door his other family lies for him, telling the 15 year old girl that her father isn't home. Mariam is determined to see her father, and so she waits for him on his doorstep for 2 days and nights. Her world is still revolving around Jalil, but when she sees his face in the window, she finally realizes that he could never love her. Mariam goes home, to apologize to Nana; to tell Nana that she was right all along. But Mariam returns to the kolba only to find that Nana has hung herself from the willow tree, and her world collapses around her.
Jalil takes Mariam in, only because she has nowhere else to go. His family takes care of her, but in the meantime they are organizing a marriage. After two weeks, she is 'married off' to a man three times her age. Mariam is convinced that her future could still have hope, after all, she is getting a home and a husband. So at the age of fifteen, she leaves her home of Herat to the faraway city of Kabul. She is frightened and unsure about this new road she is venturing on, when she finally does settle in in the home of Rasheed (her husband), he sets strict rules in the home. Mariam learns that taking care of an impatient and contemptible man like Rasheed is impossible and soon comes to realize the Nana was right, she must endure.
Part 2 narrates the life of Laila, a young girl living down the street of Mariam. Her childhood is full of life, education and ensures a good future. I don't want to spoil the story of Laila because it was especially moving for me; having such a hopeful childhood and having to watch her future fall apart around her. I loved the story of the book, narrating the lives of Mariam and Laila; they have to endure the life of a woman under the Taliban rule in Afghanistan and the perspective truly shocks you. At no point in the book was I ever losing interest, every paragraph held my attention. The main reasons that the book was so captivating was because the volatile events that occur in the country around the characters. The author incorporated the history of Afghanistan with the story, affecting the characters directly, historical events such as the Soviet Invasion, the rule of the Taliban, and recovery after the Taliban.
Many people encouraged me to read this book, so many that by the time I borrowed the book from the library I didn't want to read it anymore. I read several reviews of it (without spoilers) beforehand, and I thought that I was going to read, get disappointed and feel that I wasted my time. This was clearly not the case. I loved this book, and this book is definitely going on my shelf of favorite books (which is very exclusive). A lot of the reviews said that this book was depressing, sad and heartbreaking to read, but I do not agree. I feel that this book expresses the strength of hope, toughness of human spirit and sacrifices for others.
The author's writing style absorbed my every thought. Khaled Hosseini is an amazing writer, his writing put me in the city, in the home, witnessing, flinching and yelling insults at all the events that envelop in the despicable Rasheed's home.
After finishing this book, I look at my own life and appreciate the freedom and opportunity I have. I have always appreciated my life, but after reading this book, I can never once complain about the hardship of girl's walk to Rosey, or hows girls aren't treated fairly at Rosey. I highly reccomend this book to everyone, well anyone that will devote their time to this amazing book.
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