GOOD READS: A Thousand Splendid Suns


I have good news. I got my reading mojo back, or at least I'm getting there. We can think of all the excuses in the world - work, school, errands, digital distractions, with the latter being the biggest culprit, why we don't read as much. Today's generation has been so used to a connected world that curling up in bed with a big fat book is not as appealing as it used to be anymore. Our attention has shortened significantly and we expect stories in bite pieces. Personally, I do a lot of reading and writing at work, hence the fatigue. But finishing a good novel brings me incredible feelings of joy (and sometimes grief, I get engrossed with the characters so much that I feel sad to be separated from them after finishing a book. Am I normal?), so I try to find time to read as much as I can.

 
“Of all the hardships a person had to face, none was more punishing than the simple act of waiting.”  

My friend P has told me about A Thousand Splendid Suns a while back so I downloaded the e-book, which I conveniently forget the past months. I chanced upon it during my recent flight to Manila. It's a heavy read, as much as it's powerful. It tells the story of two Afghan women whose lives were entwined by decades of war, loss and love. They developed a mother-daughter bond in the most unlikely situation, having to share the same fate and an abusive, detestable (and gross!) husband. A Thousand Splendid Suns, which chronicles thirty years of Afghan history, is a compelling story of the extent of a woman and a mother's love in the most unforgiving time. The story also gave me an opportunity to learn and appreciate the Afghan culture, which to be honest, I wouldn't have bothered to read about if not for this book.

If you're a feminist, you'll probably cringe and cry twice as much. I can't count how many times I paused and thank the heavens that I was born in a different generation and well, place. 

Get your hankies ready and fall in love with the mind of Khaled Hosseini. I loved him so much, I finished his other book The Kite Runner in two days. It's even better IMO, so it totally deserves a separate post.

Happy reading!

Much Love,
Dang    

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