Mariam is only fifteen when she is sent to Kabul to marry Rasheed. Nearly two decades later, a friendship grows between Mariam and a local teenager, Laila, as strong as the ties between mother and daughter. When the Taliban take over, life becomes a desperate struggle against starvation, brutality and fear. Yet love can move a person to act in unexpected ways, and lead them to overcome the most daunting obstacles with a startling heroism.
I was bought this book by my dad who had read it and recommended it so highly that he thought I should have my own copy. I read ‘The Kite Runner’ while I was at university a couple of years ago and remembered loving it so I was looking forward to reading it.
Overall: In my view, this book is an absolute must-read of modern literature. Yes, it can be brutal and it is by no means an easy read but it gives an incredible insight into the suffering of women in Afghanistan over time and is perhaps the most heart-rending story of maternal love I have ever read.