That Thing Bonded Them. Review on A Thousand Splendid Sun - Khaled Hossieni

Laila watches Mariam glue strands onto her doll’s head. In a few years, this little girl will be a woman who will make small demands on life, who will never burden others, who will let never let on that she too has had sorrows, disappointments, dreams that have been ridiculed. A woman who will be like a rock in a riverbed, enduring without complaint, her grace not sullied but shaped by the turbulence that washes over her.

What is it that binds her soul to Mariam?

Is it the emotion of love or

A relation of blood;

None, it is a powerful bond above all these relations, a common factor which binds two souls together and makes them one. It is the bond of Grief, a common grief, and understanding which connects them and makes them a whole; all the other associations pale in comparison to this relationship. Two strangers who have not even met  earlier , never knew of each other’s existence also out of the blue become a necessity for each other. When they see the mate of their sorrow in another human being, a tie arises so strong that no force can defy it.

Mariam and Laila share the same bond aka ties of sorrow. The sorrows of being an Afghani woman, the despair of losing their respective parents at an early age, and above all being married to a same heartless swine of a man, Rasheed. Though they are like chalk and cheese considering their family backgrounds, age and outlook towards life; still they connect with each other. A relationship which commences on the notes of suspicion and hatred, blossoms into a friendship and strong support system for each other. Besides their daily humdrum chores, constant beatings from their husband, a confinement in four walls and a life which perfectly defines hell, they find moments of happiness in watching the sunset alongwith  three cups of Chai and braiding hair. Another silver lining in their lives is Aziza, Laila’s daughter. A childless Mariam grows an affinity towards the child and soon starts treating her as her own. The changing face of time and country deteriorates their life further and Aziza is put in an orphanage considering that the awaited baby boy of the family arrives in form of Zalmai; and they lack enough means to fill up all the stomachs.

But how to stop the yearnings of heart? How to defy the grief of that girl whom you carried in your own womb for nine months? Laila finds no respite in the situation; and Mariam is equally miserable considering that Laila and Aziza both are her own, Till she finds a solution to the circumstance….

Mariam’s  first ever memory of herself is being called a harami. An illegitimate child by birth, all she craves for is her father’s attention. The happiness which she derives from his few visits paints her world and adds to her illusions. The realities of life strike her hard and she becomes a cynical person. Mariam’s character is that of a meek, subjugated woman, who compromises with her circumstances and is happy to be clad in a burqa , away from the prying eyes of people. The brutalities subjected by her husband Rasheed are endured by her without a word .Her character takes a development with the entry of Laila and later on her daughter Aziza. She can easily signify The Mother Earth, calm, quiet and composed , silently enduring everything and yet  not getting perturbed by any. The end of the novel emerges her into a strong woman, defying all fear.

Laila on the other  hand belongs to a happy secured family, well-educated and pampered by her dad. She shares a love interest with Tariq and is attuned with the world. A turn of events land her up at Mariam’s doorstep , pregnant and helpless. She is left with no option but to marry Rasheed, considering the circumstance. Laila’s character is that of a strong-willed person, who brings hope in Mariam’s life. She provides her with company, strength and encouragement to raise her voice against wrong. She is depicted as the new  face of women in Afghanistan.

The backdrop of the novel carefully covers the changing circumstances of Afghanistan. The Russian capture and withdrawal, the Taliban movement and its repercussions, the 9/11 and post it, the present face of Afghanistan; a detailed description is etched by the author.

A truly heart rending account of events and circumstances move you from within.

In his postscript Khaled mentions that the events stated in the novel are inspired from real life incidents. He mentions that the state of burqa clad Afghani woman was as miserable as depicted there. Stating an incident he reminisces , how he was told by a bodyguard of a government official that he witnessed a woman being beaten up by a Taliban official , who kept on yelling that he will make sure that her mother’s milk leaked out of her bones.Though he later on gives a hopeful surmise later saying that situation is improving post 9/11 and Afghani women are being liberated because Afghanistan needs its woman.

This is the second novel I read of Khaled Hosseini after “The Kite Runner”, and needless to say I am equally impressed. The way he deals with the nuances and developments of the character , keeping it in pace with the backdrop is truly commendable. He appears to be thorough with his research and knows how to strike the right cord of human emotions.  I sincerely wait for his third novel.

In the end

Nobody knows the strength of a woman than herself. The creator of the human being has the immense powers to live, love, endure, sacrifice and destroy if necessary. Within her she carries a thousands of  emotions only known to her. Never underestimate her powers.

One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs

Or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls.