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  • A Thousand Splendid Suns

  • By: Khaled Hosseini
  • Narrated by: Atossa Leoni
  • Length: 6 hrs and 28 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (113 ratings)

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A Thousand Splendid Suns

By: Khaled Hosseini
Narrated by: Atossa Leoni
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Summary

A Richard and Judy Book Club Selection.

Propelled by the same superb instinct for storytelling that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic, A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once an incredible chronicle of 30 years of Afghanistan history and a deeply moving story of family, friendship, faith, and the salvation to be found in love.

Born a generation apart and with very different ideas about love and family, Mariam and Laila are two women brought jarringly together by war, by loss, and by fate. As they endure the ever-escalating dangers around them, in their home as well as in the streets of Kabul, they come to form a bond that makes them both sisters and mother-daughter to each other, and that will ultimately alter the course not just of their own lives but of the next generation. With heart-wrenching power and suspense, Hosseini shows how a woman's love for her family can move her to shocking and heroic acts of self-sacrifice, and that in the end it is love, or even the memory of love, that is often the key to survival.

A stunning accomplishment, A Thousand Splendid Suns is a haunting, heartbreaking, compelling story of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and an indestructible love.

©2007 TKR Publications, LLC. All rights reserved (P)2007 Simon and Schuster Inc. All rights reserved.
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Critic reviews

"Another searing epic....[Hosseini's] tale is a powerful, harrowing depiction of Afghanistan, but also a lyrical evocation of the lives and enduring hopes of its resilient characters." ( Publishers Weekly)
"Unimaginably tragic, Hosseini's magnificent second novel is a sad and beautiful testament to both Afghani suffering and strength. Readers who lost themselves in The Kite Runner will not want to miss this unforgettable follow up." ( Booklist)

What listeners say about A Thousand Splendid Suns

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing book

This was such a lovely book that tells the story of 2 women living in Afghanistan; it addresses suppression and the horror of living with such a brutal man. So well written and the descriptions are amazing. 2nd time I've read the story and I love it.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great book, great storyline, heart touching

I loved listening to this audible book, I even bought the hard copy & I'm looking forward to seeing the theatre show too. Tragic events depicted very well, stirring deep emotion & sadness for the characters. Definitely a good read.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

See inside the Afgan life

Reading it is like being there when it happened, good times and many bad times though Afghanistan from King to Taliban to today, why are men so coldly cruel to women and other men, a deep insight, and deeply distressing but a wonderful read.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

A Thousand Splendid Suns

An extremely moving if not accurate account of the turmoil, tragedy and heartbreak that Afghans have lived with for decades!
And now one only hopes that there can be a sequel soon that will see such a beautiful country and innocent people restored to their former glory & happiness!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

A powerful and moving social history

I'd never read any of Khalid Hosseini's books before, so, when I saw this advertised as an audiobook, I thought I'd give it a go.

I was not disappointed: this was one of the most powerfully moving books I have ever read. By writing about the lives of 2 ordinary, yet extraordinary women, Hosseini paints a vivid and gripping picture of life in Afghanistan during the past 25 years.

Fabulous!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Absorbing

An insightful narrative into how women endure and survive and a wonderful taste of Afghan culture and history. Not for those looking for a light happy read as it was upsetting in parts.

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    4 out of 5 stars

Heart Rendering Story

Unfortunately that type of thing on a personal level has happened and continues to happen in the middle east.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Uplifting

I don't usually like fiction, but this book is an exception. It takes you on a journey that leaves you feeling like you've been very lucky to get a glimpse into the lives of others.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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A thousand splendid suns - another best read

Fabulous reading- a little slow to get started but once gripped by the unfolding saga I couldn't put the book down. Great reading.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Fantastic

Sad, and emotional. Love that in the end both wives became friends, and looked out for each other.

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