graceful-arts

Mariam was sent away by her father, Jalil, whom she adored, when she was only 15 years old, to be married to an elderly widower, Rasheed. Mariam was harami, illegitimate, and Jalil was ashamed of her, so when Mariam's mother died, and she came to her father's house, where he had 3 wives, and legitimate children, he didn't want his good name sullied, so Rasheed was located. In the days of the wars in Kabul, where the rules change by day, the terrors of bombing are ever present, and Mariam's inability to carry a child to term overshadow everything, their marriage deteriorates into brutality, with the beatings ever constant. When Laila is orphaned by one of those bombs landing on her house, Rasheed digs her out of the rubble, takes her into his home, and woos her. She is only 14, he is quite elderly. Mariam and Laila fall into an uneasy truce, joined by their hatred of Rasheed, and then Aziza, Laila's daughter. The beatings, the cruelty, the horror are continually rained down on both Laila and Mariam, and they are both terrified for Aziza's safety..... This story is poignant, heartwrenching, sad, at times happy, but there is also a deep love between Mariam and Laila throughout the whole tale. Khaled Hosseini's second novel weaves thirty years of turbulent Afghan history through an intensely powerful story of family, friendship and ultimately, hope. I loved this book, and would highly recommend it.

2023-01-05 18:01