Make no mistake, I know I have been very blessed in my life. I thank God every day for that. Now, after reading A Thousand Splendid Suns, I thank him that - as a woman - I have the right to an education, the right to work, the right to be protected against an abusive husband, the right to be treated at any hospital, the right to walk around town without a man by my side. These rights seem as natural as a baby crying. But as laid out in this terrible tale, in Afghanistan under Taliban rule in the 1990's and early 2000's, women did not have any of these rights.
Early in the book, Mariam's mother said life was about enduring. What the body could physically endure. What the brain could mentally endure. What the heart could emotionally endure. This became a central theme throughout the novel. When I would have wanted to give up, Mariam and Laila continued to endure. Why did they endure? Because life is also about hope. Hope for happiness. Hope to see your children grow up. Hope to make a difference. Hope to see your country be as great as you believe it can be. If you have hope, you can endure.