A Thousand Splendid Suns - My Review!

UnDoubtedly One of the best books from this part of the world!
Khaled Hosseini has a tremendous gift of story telling that creates a virtual image of whatever he's expressing in front of our eyes!
Since the day i've seen 'Kabul Express' (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0770214/) I've been fascinated by Afghanistan. Not by it's troubles, but by it's resilient people!
Over the past three decades, the patient people have seen like, everything!
Mujahideen taking over their country from the Russians after a long long guerilla war, Taliban ousting the Mujahideen and the regional warlords, people supporting the Taliban in the beginning, Taliban converting the country into an Islamic republic with lots of Religious despotism, Bin Laden's 9/11, USA declaring war on the nation at large, a puppet prime minister and finally, a bit of peace!
What i've realised after reading the book is that a whole generation has been laid to waste in this struggle! Still, what gladdens the heart is that the people don't lose hope!
Now, Khaled Hosseini hasn't written this book for the sympathy or empathy of people!
The story is fiction, but seems like it isn't. He takes us deep inside an Afghani family and the strong women in it.
A Thousand Splendid Suns is the story of Mariam and Laila. 2 Women whose lives turn around faster than Mr Bean's Car!
Born into 2 paradoxically different families, fate brings the women together into Rasheed's household and their lives are entwined in strange ways.
What Hosseini does so beautifully is take us into the repercussions of the war without going into the gory details!!
So, in effect, this is a story within a story - on the outer, it is the story of 2 ordinary women who are thrown into extra-ordinary circumstances and how love works it's magic in various stages. On the inside, it is the story of Afghanistan - a country ravaged by war, chauvinisms and ego. A country which would have gone to dust, except for the resilience of people.
Three Cheers to Hosseini for bringing this master-piece to us.
Now, i'm waiting to read 'The Kite Runner!'