“One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs,

or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls” 

Yes. It finally happened. Other than a Chetan Bhagat, I read a whole book and completely enjoyed it.

A Thousand Splendid Suns- Have no words to explain this absolutely “splendid” book. Again, this book was given to me by Sanu who said that I would surely love it. Don’t know what made her think of it that way (does she really know me that well?), but anyways, she was right. This book is amazing. Think of it, I read this book the entire weekend, I actually sacrificed my sleep for it! Wow! It must mean something.

The book is about the trials and tribulations of women in Afganistan. Their upbringing, marriage, Taliban, restrictions, everything. Hell! There is so much in this world that we are unaware of! There are women in Afganistan who are reduced to mere puppets in the hands of their good-for-nothing husbands, all in the name of religion. It almost feels like a sin to be born a woman in the rule of the Taliban.

What really struck me was the bravery and chivalry Afgan women exhibit. And there is so much we take for granted. Our freedom for one. We can walk about the streets freely, love anyone, have our opinions, eat, live and almost die the way we want to. But what if this disappears from our life? We would be reduced to nothing but dust. Living a hundrend deaths a day. Wouldn’t want to say this, but I actually had tears in my eyes reading this book.

The book is sure to melt even the toughest  hearts and my advice to everyone who has suffered a personal loss in the recent past to refrain from reading this book, it would make you cry even more. But again I strongly recommend it to the very same people because the story stands tall and teaches you to endure the greatest of your personal sufferings, no matter how paramount the loss might be. It did to me.

It’s a book you should certainly read to understand why some societies have to change, even if it means that traditional rituals are to be broken!