A Treasured Present!

I was given a famous and bestseller book as a present, which is called “A Thousand Splendid Suns.” Last term, I can remember that we took some paragraphs to translate them from English to Arabic in our translation class. So I’ll give you a short brief about the author and his novel.  

Khaled Hosseini who born in Kabul, Afghanistan then he moved to the United States in 1980 wrote this book. His First novel, The Kite Runner, was an international bestseller, published in 34 countries. He was named a US goodwill envoy to the United Nations Refugee Agency In 2006. He lives now in northern California.

 This novel is about a girl named ‘Mariam’ who is only 15. She is sent to Kabul to marry Rasheed, who is 30 years, her senior. Nearly two decades later, in a climate of growing unrest, tragedy strikes fifteen-year-old Laila, who must leave her home and join Mariam's unhappy household. Laila and Mariam are to find consolation in each other, their friendship to grow as deep as the bond between sisters, as strong as the ties between mother and daughter. With the passing of time comes Taliban rule over Afghanistan, the streets of Kabul loud with the sound of gunfire and bombs, life a desperate struggle against starvation, brutality and fear, the women's endurance tested beyond their worst imaginings. (I write this summary from the novel's cover) 

I can remember when we translated this quotation: 'Mariam’s mother tells her: "Women like us. We endure. It’s all we have.”'

It’s one of those books that really make an impact. Although I did not finish the book, however, in some points while I’m reading, I felt a little guilty that I have such an easy life compared to Laila and Mariam. I extremely recommend this novel for you to read if you are interested.