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evan_tually's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Murder, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Violence, War, Blood, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
lil15151's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Misogyny, War, Pedophilia, and Violence
carmelita87's review against another edition
- 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
I couldn't read this book fast enough and yet I whole heartly didn't want it to end. The story of Mariam and Laila had me so enthralled, I had to continue it by listening to the audiobook while my family and I drove out to New Braunfels, Texas during the Easter break. I even got my mother into it and we cried together as we listened to the bittersweet ending on our drive back home.
Two Afghani women form an unbreakable bond that will remind you of the beauty and strength we find in the darkest of times.
Mariam is the illegitimate child of a businessman who is married off to 40-something Rasheed when she was 15-years-old and made to obey her husband during a time in the late 1970s and 1980s when women experienced more freedoms in Afghanistan because of Soviet rule. Mariam cannot carry a pregnancy to term, which frustrates Rasheed and he grows cold and hostile towards Mariam. The POV changes to Laila. Once the warlords battle to take a foothold on Afghanistan, 14-year-old Laila's crush and onetime lover, Tariq, flees to Pakistan after failing to convince her to marry him and flee along with him. A rocket kills Laila's parents while her family is preparing to flee. Middle-aged Rasheed saves Laila from the rubble. Mariam, now an adult, helps her heal from her injuries. Rasheed's motives are clear to Mariam; he intends to marry the 15-year-old Laila. After a stranger informs Laila that the love of her life has died, she succumbs to Rasheed's desires and marries him. As Mariam and Laila's home becomes a more hostile and violent place, so does Afghanistan for women and other minorities. Mariam and Laila simultaneously develop an unshakable sisterhood and mother-daughter bond as they navigate their lives through times of disappointment and hope. The ending alone makes this book a worthwhile read.
Moderate: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and War
hanathemah's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicide, Grief, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Violence, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Rape, Death, and War
maria_k2000's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, War, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Rape, Sexual assault, and Suicide
alicia_th's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
4.25
Moderate: Miscarriage, Infertility, Murder, Death of parent, Abortion, Violence, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Sexual content and Sexual assault
33cosmo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Classism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Genocide, Sexual content, and War
Moderate: Gun violence, Abortion, Body horror, Pregnancy, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Genocide, Gore, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Violence, War, Bullying, Child abuse, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Child death, Classism, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Police brutality, Grief, Infidelity, Sexual content, Rape, Sexual assault, and Torture
Minor: Vomit, Abortion, Medical content, Mental illness, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Medical trauma, and Panic attacks/disorders
mary's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Death, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Suicide, War, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Domestic abuse, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Infertility, Infidelity, Violence, and Confinement
mary_jinxedit's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Police brutality, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, and Torture
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Grief, and Gaslighting
dontwanthvn's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, War, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Miscarriage, Blood, Death, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, and Gun violence
Moderate: Incest, Animal cruelty, Suicide, and Confinement