The lyrical magician Khaled Hosseini has weaved his splendor around my heart and mind once again. If The Kite Runner was a measure for standards, this latest piece is a sure shot winner. Hosseini has penned the most strikingly simple words, which have, as the name suggests, the most splendid impact.

A Thousand Splendid Suns offers a glimpse of the rise and fall of Kabul,initially set in the Soviet era and moving right into the gloomy period of Taleban-isation. However, the focus of this story is on two women, illustrating their transition from a society that embraced femininity to a world that seeked to suffocate it. Similar in theme to its predecessor, the plot and characters created by Hosseini in this book are victims of deep pain and emotional trauma – the extent to which is impossible to fathom right from the very first chapter and down to the very last word. And yet, this brilliant author manages to enrapt the readers in the twists and turns of this story deep enough to make you believe its your very own.

While the Kite Runner focused primarily on a boy’s experiences, this book pays homage to the oft-ignored females of this close knit society.The protagonists of Splendid Suns are Mariam and Laila – two women equally strong in their ethics and values, and yet so different in their temperaments. We see Maryam as an innocent young girl, an illegitimate child who is given away as a bride to the authoritative Rasheed. Laila, on the other hand, is the bright, headstrong daughter of a highly intellectual and liberal father. The book alternates swiftly between the independent lives of the two women, and each chapter providing a different perspective on the status of a woman in Afghanistan in the years leading to the invasion and its subsequent downfall.

With each chapter, we see Maryam and Laila adapting in response to the events both in their personal lives as well as the society surrounding them.Their worlds suddenly collide at a time when happiness seems a bleak, distant hope for each and yet, is the only road to personal freedom. Under the reigns of the selfish Rasheed, the enemy who sees himself as a God-sent savior, these women endure extreme psychological trauma on a day to day basis. I was fighting back tears just imagining that this story was only a snippet of the daily lives of Afghani women, let alone women across the world. Certainly the root cause of his great success, Hosseini’s words strike home once again. We see this in the simple motherly advice given to Maryam by her mother. Nana: Like a compass needle that points north, a man’s accusing finger always finds a woman. Always. ; a simple analogy that screams out the plague that is gender inequality.

Most of the emotional references made in the book are meant to evoke sympathy for the women, although Hosseini has been careful to ensure that not all Afghani men are seen as the devil's advocates. Laila’s childhood best friend Tariq is one such example. As crafted out by the author, Tariq’s character is the ideal source of companionship in times of need. I was glad that Hosseini managed to strike this balance in his story, for fear that he would just be written off as a biased, radical feminist.

Although I must admit, the story left me deeply saddened and discomforted, I’d definitely label it a must-read. Several scenes in the book may seem too heavy to digest, but they are certainly essential to the development of its characters and plot. This roller-coaster ride of lies, trauma, endurance, oppression, love in all its forms, willpower and political turmoil is truly indicative of Khalid Hosseini’s immense talent as a writer. A Thousand Splendid Suns is simply splendid.