A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini
A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini
315 Rating(s)
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A Thousand Splendid Suns

Author: Khaled Hosseini

Narrator: Atossa Leoni

Unabridged: 11 hr 43 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/22/2007


Synopsis

After more than two years on the bestseller lists, Khaled Hosseini returns with a beautiful, riveting, and haunting novel of enormous contemporary relevance.

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a breathtaking story set against the volatile events of Afghanistan's last thirty years—from the Soviet invasion to the reign of the Taliban to post-Taliban rebuilding—that puts the violence, fear, hope and faith of this country in intimate, human terms. It is a tale of two generations of characters brought jarringly together by the tragic sweep of war, where personal lives—the struggle to survive, raise a family, find happiness—are inextricable from the history playing out around them.

Propelled by the same storytelling instinct that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic, A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once a remarkable chronicle of three decades of Afghan history and a deeply moving account of family and friendship. It is a striking, heartwrenching novel of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and an indestructible love—a stunning accomplishment.

About Khaled Hosseini

Persian born Khaled Hosseini, was born in 1965 in Kabul, Afghanistan, where his father worked as a diplomat. They eventually applied for asylum status in the United States, which was before the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Hosseini made a comment once that he almost had survivor's guilt in leaving their friends and family behind.

Hosseini began his adult career as a doctor of medicine in California. He describes it as being like an arranged marriage. In 2003 his first novel was published, The Kite Runner. His novels are primarily set in Afghanistan. When The Kite Runner was successful, he retired from medicine to write full time. Two novels followed.....A Thousand Splendid Things in 2007, and, And the Mountains Echoed in 2013. All three were New York Times bestsellers.

Currently, Hosseini is a Goodwill Envoy for the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees....... finding humanitarian assistance for Afghans displaced by the war through his foundation, the Khaled Hosseini Foundation.

During the release of his third novel......And the Mountains Echoed.......Hosseini had this poignant quote: "I am forever drawn to family as a recurring central theme 8f my writing. My earlier novels were at heart tales of fatherhood and motherhood. My new novel is a multi-generational family story as well, this time revolving around brothers and sisters, and the ways in which they love, wound, betray, honor, and sacrifice for each other. I am thrilled at the chance to share this book with my readers." (In his own words.)


Reviews

AudiobooksNow review by Debby on 2007-06-25 22:40:14

The Kite Runner is a book that I thoroughly enjoyed. The author narrated that book, which made hearing the story even more enjoyable. This book is narrated by a woman, but it's because a story about two women. At first, I wasn't sure I was going to get into it, as I did with the Kite Runner. But, it didn't take long to become immersed into the two women's lives. I began to wonder how these two women were going to mesh together, and I was not disappointed. It's a very sad story, but it's a story that needs to be told. This book made me truly appreciate how blessed I am, as an American woman. I was reminded of the hardships that the Taliban caused-- not to mention the atrocities that the people of Afghanistan have endured far too long. When the story ended, I felt that Khaled Hosseini had tied up all the loose ends of the story. I was left a little sad, but also with an admiration for his character, Laila. What noble women these two were! I highly recommend this book.

AudiobooksNow review by Janice on 2007-08-02 21:33:03

You will instantly want to know more about these characters and will want to listen as fast as you can to this tale of the life of 2 women in Afganistan. The story will stay with you. Beautifully written and wonderfully read. This is a must read!

AudiobooksNow review by Jane on 2008-01-26 12:38:56

Hosseini's second novel was just as perfect as his first, The Kite Runner. It's beautufully written with an engaging plot and well developed characters. A Thousand Splendid Suns is a must read.

AudiobooksNow review by Ellen on 2008-05-05 19:09:37

What a stunning book, beautiful and sad. I have never had such an appreciation for Afghanis and for the trials and hardships they have endured over the last 3 decades. The narrator does a good job, as well. This is a must-read, and I promise you at a certain point you will not be able to put it down.

AudiobooksNow review by Ann on 2008-06-07 19:16:18

I can't say enough good things about this lovely and moving story.

Goodreads review by Tharindu on August 16, 2021

"A face of grievances unspoken, burdens gone unprotested, a destiny submitted to and endured." This must have been the longest time I had waited to review a fiction after finishing the book. Even after a week, I still haven't fully recuperated from the emotional blow of A Thousand Splendid Suns........more

Goodreads review by Lucy on January 27, 2008

For the last two months I have been putting off reading this book. For starters, I bought the book at an airport in Taiwan, which meant it didn't have a due date which meant it took a backseat to many books that I didn't have the luxury of reading whenever. Additionally, because I've heard so much ab......more

Goodreads review by Anu on December 03, 2013

August 2007 I was riding in a cab in Bombay recently, and a bookseller on foot approached me at a traffic light with a stack of books. I did my best not to look at the boy, but I couldn't help it. He was waving several books in my face and something caught my eye. I thought my glance was discreet, bu......more

Goodreads review by Emily on June 16, 2021

Apparently this will break my heart even more than The Kite Runner 🤞 Update: It did.......more

Goodreads review by Matthew on July 17, 2019

Amazing! Heart-Wrenching! Important! In a world where people tend to make assumptions about people and places based on the news, preconceived notions, prejudice, etc., this book needs to be read. I think a good portion of the American population hears “Afghanistan” and they think it is a country full o......more