Two women’s stories, that of Mariam and Laila, are set in the chaos of 1970s Kabul, Afghanistan. Their worlds converge when catastrophe strikes, their lives punctuated by periods Soviet occupation and the years before and after the Taliban regime. Together, they will rise and fall in search of family and love, bound too by the gritty resilience of the human spirit.

From the first page on, Hosseini’s amazing prose dominates the novel. Full of descriptions of the life and daily movement of Kabul, we follow two women whose stories are not as similar in background as they are themselves engaging, beautifully written heroines. The novel’s dynamics are expressed in entirely human terms, and appeal to readers who empathize with the two women’s wishes, regrets, desires, and truly human stories. Readers will have no choice but to become emotionally invested in a story charged with endless plot twists and cliffhangers.

A Thousand Splendid Suns is not only extraordinary fiction, filled with interlocking layers, themes, and details; it is also shockingly realistic. The depth of the misery Mariam and Laila endure throughout their lives is bitingly historically accurate. Hosseini brings to light their story, like that of many Afghan women at the time, to the eyes of a Western audience that see vividly firsthand what they could have never imagined. And in doing so, Hosseini’s novel is not only enlightening, but empowering, engrossing, as it extends across cultural lines to forge personal connections between character and reader.

It’s also book with heart. From the love that can forge or destroy families, to the deep passion of young lovers, the novel also serves as a reminder of the strength of the human heart when it joins with other kindred spirits. Mariam and Laila are both victims of child marriage, born a generation apart, but their stories are ultimately built by the choices they make to transform their own lives. In every way, Hosseini’s marvelous stories captivates, illuminated by the light of a thousand splendid suns.