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gerda_gisela's review against another edition
dark
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
tracamiller's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
sarahs2real's review against another edition
5.0
(warning: slight spoilers)
how must one rate a book that has no faults in it? how must one even dare to give a perfect book anything bellow five stars?
it will forever shock me that a man wrote a story that so beautifully and painfully captured the pain of not only being a woman, but also a Afghan woman during the Taliban.
Mariam, the first wife of Rasheed. Everywhere I look she is there. When I recite the Quran I am reminded of her. When I pray I am reminded of her.
Laila, the second and much younger wife of Rasheed. Strong and un compliant.
A mother. A daughter. A student.
I feel like I’m writing a dumb letter right now, but in essence, this book captures the purity of love - sisterly, maternal, and paternal.
It paints a picture of resistance, when again and again, a woman is beat by a man who she had no other choice to marry, and yet fights back;
The pains of motherhood - to marry a man decades older than you so you are not stoned, to scream another into this world with no pain meds, and under the reign of the Taliban; To lie and cheat and steal; To sacrifice and come close to death over and over over again, and the only reason you are holding on is because you are a mother — because to be a mother is to love, and to love is to fight.
it follows the story of 14 year old Laila as she is orphaned and made to marry Rasheed, a man already married to Mariam, a woman who literally watched as Laila was born.
Through the tiptoes and heartbreak of miscarriage, and the wails of grief; through the sisterhood of one woman letting another rest on her lap as she cleans the wounds of the other; Through DECADES of hard labour;
This is not a story someone can just laugh over. It is one that NEVER leaves you. It is a story of love, of pain, and of resistance, even if it only follows the life of two women forced to clean up over a man. The harsh realities of rape, and superiority, and for your religion to be twisted and re written to suite your own special dose of torture.
I cried, and cried, and cried, and i think I really need a friend who i can rant to about this book, because even years later when I see this on my bookshelf, all i will be able to do even then is cry.
how must one rate a book that has no faults in it? how must one even dare to give a perfect book anything bellow five stars?
it will forever shock me that a man wrote a story that so beautifully and painfully captured the pain of not only being a woman, but also a Afghan woman during the Taliban.
Mariam, the first wife of Rasheed. Everywhere I look she is there. When I recite the Quran I am reminded of her. When I pray I am reminded of her.
Laila, the second and much younger wife of Rasheed. Strong and un compliant.
A mother. A daughter. A student.
I feel like I’m writing a dumb letter right now, but in essence, this book captures the purity of love - sisterly, maternal, and paternal.
It paints a picture of resistance, when again and again, a woman is beat by a man who she had no other choice to marry, and yet fights back;
The pains of motherhood - to marry a man decades older than you so you are not stoned, to scream another into this world with no pain meds, and under the reign of the Taliban; To lie and cheat and steal; To sacrifice and come close to death over and over over again, and the only reason you are holding on is because you are a mother — because to be a mother is to love, and to love is to fight.
it follows the story of 14 year old Laila as she is orphaned and made to marry Rasheed, a man already married to Mariam, a woman who literally watched as Laila was born.
Through the tiptoes and heartbreak of miscarriage, and the wails of grief; through the sisterhood of one woman letting another rest on her lap as she cleans the wounds of the other; Through DECADES of hard labour;
This is not a story someone can just laugh over. It is one that NEVER leaves you. It is a story of love, of pain, and of resistance, even if it only follows the life of two women forced to clean up over a man. The harsh realities of rape, and superiority, and for your religion to be twisted and re written to suite your own special dose of torture.
I cried, and cried, and cried, and i think I really need a friend who i can rant to about this book, because even years later when I see this on my bookshelf, all i will be able to do even then is cry.
rrekhaa's review against another edition
challenging
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
emma_swearingen's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
rwilhoyte's review against another edition
5.0
This is an exceptionally gripping and well written story. Ialso feel like I learned so much about the last 30 years of history in Afghanistan. While heart wrenching at times, I think a ray of hope does shine through this book.
altraletteratura's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.5
mintomillk's review against another edition
5.0
5 stars. i read this book years ago and it cemented Hosseini as one of my favourite authors, even as i can't bring myself to read it ever again. one of the few books i had to put down because my heart hurt too much to continue; even now as i write this review i can't bring myself to think too hard on the plot without getting emotional over the difficulty of the life for both Mariam and Laila, and how much i want to complain that it just isn't, and can't be, fair. Hosseini is a master of bringing awareness to the plight of the vulnerable by making them human, and with that step making the stakes much more emotional than numbers on a screen or words on a page. Mariam and Laila truly felt like people i knew, and their suffering a loss that i felt personally. a truly devastating masterpiece that all should read, no matter how difficult or painful.
maudiovb's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
gen_319's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This author writes the most devastating and beautiful books I’ve ever read. This remains my favorite book