Wednesday, May 23, 2012

A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS

photo by Invitation To Inspiration

Laila would remember the muted ceremony in bits and fragments. The cream- colored stripes of Rasheed`s suit. The sharp smell of his hair spray. The small shaving nick just above his Adam`s apple. The rough pads of his tobacco- stained fingers when he slid the ring on her. The pen. Its not working. The search for a new pen. The contract. The signing, his sure- handed, hers quavering. The prayers. Noticing, in the mirror, that Rasheed had trimmed his eyebrows. And, somewhere in the room, Mariam watching. The air choking with her disapproval. Laila could not bring herself to meet the older woman`s gaze. 

photo by Invitation To Inspiration
 
She walked, dragging a fingernail along the wall, down the hallway, then back, down the steps, then up, her face unwashed, hair uncombed. She walked until she ran into Mariam, who shot her a cheerless glance and went back to slicing the stem off a bell pepper and trimming strips of fat from meat. A hurtful silence would fill the room, and Laila could almost see the wordless hostility radiating from Mariam like waves of heat rising from asphalt. She would retreat back to her room, sit on the bed, and watch the snow falling. 

photo by Invitation To Inspiration

Laila examined Mariam`s drooping cheeks, the eyelids that sagged in tired folds, the deep lines that framed her mouth- she saw these things as though she too were looking at someone for the first time. And, for the first time, it was not an adversary`s face Laila saw but a face of grievances unspoken, burdens gone unprotested, a destiny submitted to and endured. If she stayed, would this be her own face, Laila wondered, twenty years from now?

photo by Invitation To Inspiration 

Mariam did not sleep that night. She sat in bed, watched the snow falling soundlessly. Seasons had come and gone; presidents in Kabul had been inaugurated and murdered; an empire had been defeated; old wars had ended and new ones had broken out. But Mariam had hardly noticed, hardly cared. She had passed these years in a distant corner of her mind. A dry, barren field, out beyond wish and lament, beyond dream and disillusionment. There, the future did not matter. And the past held only this wisdom: that love was a damaging mistake, and its accomplice, hope, a treacherous illusion. And whenever those twin poisonous flowers began to sprout in the parched land of that field, Mariam uprooted them. She uprooted them and ditched them before they took hold.
But somehow, over these last months, Laila and Aziza- a harami like herself, as it turned out- had become extensions of her, and now, without them, the life Mariam had tolerated for so long suddenly seemed intolerable.

photo by Invitation To Inspiration
 
  Mariam is never very far. She is here, in these walls they`ve repainted, in the trees they`ve planted, in the blankets that keep the children warm, in these pillows and books and pencils. She is in the children`s laughter. She is in the verses Aziza recites and in the prayers she mutters when she bows westward. But, mostly, Mariam is in Laila`s own heart, where she shines with the bursting radiance of a thousand suns. 

photo by Invitation To Inspiration

What do we look for in the stories of other people`s lives?
An escape from our own stories? A paper soulmate who shares a common destiny with us?
It is probably a little bit of both…
A Thousand Splendid Suns is the story of two Afghani women, Mariam and Laila, recounted by a man`s pen. Moving words of Khaled Hosseini give you the insight into the woman`s perspective of the  polygamous marriage amidst the Taliban terror. The reader becomes a witness of a moving transformation from hostility to a lifetime bond between two women enslaved by the tradition and the laws of the patriarchy.

A Thousand Splendid Suns makes you painfully aware of the fact that reality goes far beyond your own  personal experience. 



   

44 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Coco, thank you very much, this is, indeed, a touching story.

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  2. nice place and great look!

    sophie xx

    http://blogstylethings.blogspot.com/

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Sophie, I am lucky to live in such a nice neighbourhood :)

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  3. love it!


    steelmagnoliasfashion.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittany, thank you for leaving a comment with us, we`re glad you like the post :)

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  4. Nice place, the sandals are beautiful! Love this post!

    Thank you so mucht to visit and comment my blog!

    http://lapoirerouge.blogspot.com.es/

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    Replies
    1. Beah, thank you. The sandals are Camper, I`ve already written about my obsession with Camper shoes :)

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  5. Beautiful, and such a great view.

    Thank's for visiting my blog and your comment!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Audrey, you`re welcome :) Thank you for checking us out and leaving a comment :)

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  6. this is the most gripping and special book i've ever read.. I mean wow..!
    http://spliffedcookies.blogspot.com/

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    Replies
    1. M, as an extreme bookwarm who devours books on a daily basis, I can confirm that this book really leaves a strong and long-lasting impression on a reader :)

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  7. Wow those are powerful lines and it sounds like an inspiring book. Noted. Your look is adorable btw, love the red touch of your shoes. Kisses

    http://mostlymelina.blogspot.com.es/

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    Replies
    1. Melina, make sure you read the book, it`s really worth the effort.
      My red shoes say "Thank you" :)

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  8. Such an amazing book! Jealous you get such a gorgeous view while reading.

    +
    Amy

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    Replies
    1. Amy, thank you for your comment :) The book really is impressive and I can`t argue with you- I am crazy lucky to enjoy this view every day :)

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  9. Wow, you look so relaxed. I am looking forward to some good summer reads!

    http://heydahye.blogspot.com/

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    Replies
    1. Dahye, thank you for checking us out and leaving a comment :)
      The moment I take a book in my hands, I`m the most relaxed person in the world :) Hopefully, our blog will help you find your summer reads :)

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  10. I LOVE YOUR SHOES!!! that spot looks like a wonderful place to read. And the book sounds interesting, too! Mariam seems like such a complex character :)
    Rory
    www.WearAboutsBlog.com
    Crystal Bullet Necklace Giveaway!!!

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    Replies
    1. Rory, Mariam is so inspiring, especially for us, the spoiled women of Western civilization who, luckily, don`t quite know what true suffering is.
      And yes, I love my front yard- the best reading place there is :)

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  11. Me han encantado las fotos, me gustaría estar ahí sentada relajandome a mi también ;-)

    www.infinitawishlist.com

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    Replies
    1. Ciao InfinitaWishlist, ti rispondo in italiano...:-D
      grazie per aver visitato il nostro blog!!! :-D
      baci

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  12. love the look, love the pop of red in your outfit

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for visiting our blog and leaving a comment with us :)
      Red is my favorite color, I squeeze a touch of it in almost everything I wear :)

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  13. Love the first picture, beautiful nature!

    I'm reading the kite runner, nice book also!

    xx Fesi

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    Replies
    1. Fesi, I`ve read The Kite Runner before I`ve read A Thousand Splendid Suns and I absolutely love it :)
      Check out The Kite Runner movie, if you haven`t already, it`s a pretty decent adaptation of the book.

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  14. nice pics..
    take a lokk at my blog, we can follow each other if you want
    kisses
    http://color-blockbyfelym.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, thank you for visiting us :-D of course we can follow each other!
      xoxo

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  15. Beautiful photos!!!
    Want us to follow by Bloglovin? let me know...
    Have a wonderful weekend!

    Besos, desde España, Marcela♥

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    Replies
    1. Hi dear, we are already following you on Bloglovin!!! :-DDD

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  16. Thank you for sharing the review of the novel. Seems like a very excellent book :)I've always wonder how woman get along with each other in a polygamous marriage

    ang-closet365.blogspot.ca

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    Replies
    1. Ang Lam, make sure you read the book when you get the chance, it really gives a moving portrait of the relationship between two women in a polygamous marriage.

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  17. ohh so nice photos dear!love your sandals and great book!!
    xoxo=)

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  18. LOVE this book!

    :)
    Allison
    afashionfiles.blogspot.com

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  19. Reading in the sun is the best! I haven't read this book, but thanks for the recommendation and the post :)

    161cm.com

    joanne♥choi

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  20. Cute look! Loving the pop of red with your sandals!

    xx
    Giovanna
    www.oliveandanarrow.com

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  21. awww... such stunning photos of you. love this natural photos. :)

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  22. Nice photos and great Look! Your shoes are so cool, like them :)

    Maybe we could follow each other with GFC and Facebook? :)

    Greetings

    http://bouquet-defleurs.blogspot.de/

    ReplyDelete
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