A Thousand Splendid Suns：International Export Edition

AtossaLeoni,whoisGerman-bornofAfghanancestry,wasclearlychosenbecauseshecanpronouncealltheAfghanwords—abigplus,butit'stheonlyplusinthisbadreading.Droppinghervoiceonthelastwordofeverysentence,herphrasingisregularlyrenderedungrammaticalbybreaksatthewrongpoints.Hernarrowvocalrangemakesforadullandoftendifficultlisteningexperience.Despitethereader,thebookholdsthelistenerthankstoHosseini'srivetingstory—anin-depthexplorationofAfghansocietyinthethreedecadesofanti-Sovietjihad,civilwarandTalibancruelty.HeimpelsustoempathizewithandadmirethosemostvictimizedbyAfghanhistoryandculture—women.Mariam,a15-year-oldbastardwhosemothercommitssuicide,ismarriedoffto40-year-oldRasheed,whoabusesherbrutally,especiallyaftershehasseveralmiscarriages.At60,Rasheedtakesin14-year-oldLaila,whoseparentswereblownupbystraybombs.Hesoonturnsviolentwithher.AlthoughLailaisunitedwithherchildhoodbeloved,thepotentialreturnoftheTalibanalwaysshadowstheirhappiness.