A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

Khaled Hosseini's sophomore novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, begins with a girl's knowledge that she is not, and never has been, wanted. Hosseini's The Kite Runner ­focused on the men of Afghanistan, their relationships, and the guilt of childhood wrongdoings. A Thousand Splendid Sun's themes are the relationships between mothers and daughters, friendship between women, and the struggle to survive living with an abusive husband.

Although it was clearly written for an audience much older than me, I found this book spoke to me. My heart goes out to the women in this world who have not been given the advantages in life I have, who are not as lucky as I am to live in a country with equal rights. This is the story that A Thousand Splendid Suns tells us.

Hosseini makes the hardships of these women clear, including sharing a husband, the struggle against the Taliban (who made it illegal for a woman to walk outside without a male family member), and always, always, the fear of blame. “Learn this now and learn it well, my daughter: Like a compass needle that points north, a man's accusing finger always finds a woman. Always.”

We may find it easier to believe that this is just a story, that A Thousand Splendid Suns is made up. But the minute we begin that train of thought, we become just as guilty as the men in power who put these laws into action. We are just as guilty as they, when we ignore the truth. I encourage you to read this novel, for it will change your life and way of thinking.