A Thousand Splendid Suns is a novel by Khaled Hosseini. It is divided into four parts. Part 1 focuses on Mariam, a young girl born in Afghanistan during the 1950s. Part 2 introduces Laila, born in Kabul in the late 1970s. The lives of both women converge in Part 3. Part 4 shifts to Laila’s perspective. Throughout the novel, both global and regional conflicts bring turmoil and devastation to the lives of these women and to the country of Afghanistan.
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Part 1: Mariam's Early Life
Mariam spends her early years with her mother, Nana, in a small kolba (shack) built for them by her father, Jalil. Though Jalil visits Mariam weekly, he never acknowledges her as his legitimate daughter. Nana often reminds Mariam that she is a "harami," an illegitimate child. Mariam's only friend is Mullah Faizullah, the local tutor, who teaches her from the Koran and treats her like family.
On her fifteenth birthday, Mariam's father fails to fulfill his promise to take her to the cinema. Mariam, eager to be seen with her father, ventures to his house, only to be rejected. Upon her return, she finds that Nana has committed suicide. Blaming herself for Nana's death, Mariam is soon informed that she is to be married to Rasheed, a shoemaker nearly thirty years her senior. Mariam’s life with Rasheed in Kabul begins, and she vows never to see her father again.
Part 2: Laila's Early Life
In 1978, as Afghanistan is embroiled in political upheaval, Laila is born in Kabul. Her family, particularly her father, Hakim, a university teacher, is supportive of her education. Laila’s brothers, Ahmad and Noor, are members of the Afghan resistance fighting against Soviet occupation. When they die in the conflict, Laila’s mother, Mammy, becomes withdrawn and despondent, while Laila struggles with her feelings of guilt for not grieving more deeply.
Laila’s closest companion is Tariq, a courageous and protective young man who has lost a leg. The two eventually form a romantic bond despite the gossip surrounding them. When the political climate becomes more volatile, and Tariq’s family plans to leave Kabul, Laila stays behind with her parents. A bombing kills Laila’s parents, leaving her severely injured. Rasheed rescues her, and Laila eventually marries him, pregnant with Tariq's child.
Part 3: The Intersection of Mariam and Laila’s Lives
As Laila recovers, she is drawn into Rasheed’s household. Mariam, initially resentful of Laila, begins to grow fond of her, especially after Laila gives birth to a daughter, Aziza. Rasheed’s cruelty toward the women intensifies, exacerbated by the imposition of Shari’a law by the Taliban. When Rasheed loses his job, he sends Aziza to an orphanage, and Laila risks her life to visit her daughter, enduring beatings from the Taliban.
In a shocking revelation, Laila learns that Tariq is not dead and that Rasheed had fabricated his death to force Laila into marriage. As Rasheed becomes increasingly violent, Mariam and Laila attempt to escape, but they are caught. After a confrontation, Mariam kills Rasheed to protect Laila. She takes the blame for the murder and is sentenced to death.
Part 4: Laila’s Life After Mariam’s Death
Laila and Tariq, now reunited, flee to Pakistan with the children. Over time, Aziza bonds with Tariq, while Zalmai, Rasheed's biological son, learns to love him as well. The couple returns to Kabul after the fall of the Taliban and the U.S. invasion. Laila visits Mariam’s hometown to honor the woman who saved her life. There, she discovers that Mariam’s father, Jalil, had written a letter asking for Mariam’s forgiveness before his death. Laila and Tariq use the inheritance to renovate the orphanage, where Laila becomes a teacher. Laila is pregnant with their third child, and Kabul is slowly rebuilding.
Laila reflects on the resilience and sacrifices of the women in her life, particularly Mariam, whose love and bravery shaped her own future. Despite the tragedies they endured, the women find a way to rebuild and find hope in a country recovering from war.
