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Posts on ‘December 8th, 2007’

A Thousand Splendid Suns – Book Review

Dec 8th, 2007
by Caribousmom.
9 comments

“One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs,
Or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls.”
-from a poem by Saeb-e-Tabrizi-

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a sweeping generational novel set in Afghanistan over the last thirty years from the Soviet invasion through the tortuous reign of the Taliban and the post-Taliban rebuilding years. Hosseini follows the lives of two women: Mariam and Laila. Mariam is a harami – an illegitimate child whose wealthy father casts her and her mother out of his home. When she is sold to the cruel Rasheed, a man who is easily 40 years her senior, Mariam’s life becomes one of pain, disappointment, abuse and endurance…just as her mother had predicted.

“…There is only one, only one skill a woman like you and me needs in life, and they don’t teach it in school. Look at me.”
“You should not speak like this to her, my child,” Mullah Faizullah said.
“Look at me.”
Mariam did.
“Only one skill. And it’s this: tahamul. Endure.”
-From A Thousand Splendid Suns, page 17-

Laila is born in Kabul, only doors away from where Mariam and Rasheed live. When war arrives in the city, Laila finds her world turned upside down and a twist of fate brings her and Mariam together.

Hosseini’s novel reveals the horrible effects of war, and the abuse and mistreatment of women under the Taliban. Heartbreaking in its scope, the novel touched my heart and had me choking back tears. As a woman born in the United States, it is hard for me to wrap my brain around the outrages done against women in other parts of the world. To imagine a life where one is not allowed outside without being accompanied by a man; cannot show her face in public; may be stoned to death for a perceived attraction to someone other than one’s husband; may not read, paint or even laugh without the fear of punishment; may be repeatedly beaten by one’s husband and have no recourse in the law…is almost beyond the scope of my imagination. And yet it has happened; is happening.

Hosseini’s novel is a must read – if only to remind us of the suffering of women in other countries, and the outrages of war. Beautifully written, fiercely powerful, and with a message about the redeeming quality of love and hope, A Thousand Splendid Suns is highly recommended.

Five Things Meme

Dec 8th, 2007
by Caribousmom.
3 comments

Amy at The Sleepy Reader has tagged me for a fun meme – Five Things.

5 Things I was doing 10 Years Ago:
1. Saying good-bye to my wonderful cat of 15 years, Clint Catwood.
2. Enrolling in a First Responder’s  course – my first step in getting certified as a dog handler with CARDA.
3. Packaging up what seemed like a thousand Meyer’s lemons from the tree in my back yard to give away to friends, neighbors and family.
4. Working for Marin Home Care in Marin County, California.
5. Making Christmas cookies (which I do EVERY year!)

5 Things on my To-Do List today:
1. Get batteries for the Christmas window candles and buy tea candles.
2. Finish my paperwork for work.
3. Write a book review.
4. Finish decorating the house.
5. Go to my company Christmas party tonight.

5 Things I would do if I were a Millionaire:
1. Make a donation to Triple Creek Ranch for their own land, barn and covered arena.
2. Take a trip with my husband to Italy for a month.
3. Finish remodeling the rest of the house – buy the property next to us and expand the house.
4. Invest for our retirement.
5. Make donations to several local charities.

5 Things I’ll Never Wear Again (Or have never worn):
1. A bikini
2. Size 6 jeans.
3. A wedding dress.
4. White go-go boots.
5. Purple corduroy hip-huggers.

5 Favorite Toys:
1. Books (are those toys? I think so!)
2. My computer
3. Lite-Brite (from when I was a kid)
4. Cross country skis
5. Snow shoes.

5 People To Tag:
I’m going to cop out on this and just say if you are reading this and like it, jump in…but let me know so I can read your lists!