A Thousand Splendid Suns

Some time ago, I wrote about The Kite Runner. It was, I said, the best book I'd read in quite awhile. What was interesting to me then, is that my husband and I had both read it, one after the other. We don't often read the same books or if we do, we don't feel the same way about them. The Kite Runner was different -- we both liked it equally well.

So when A Thousand Splendid Suns was released, my husband ordered it and began it the day it arrived. A few days later, he handed it to me to begin.

Books are very intimate objects. I do not share them lightly. For me, a book handed over to you in bed is the most appropriate exchange. Books, like gifts, should be carefully chosen; respected. When I give someone a book, it is beyond a handshake. It is significant. A gift of a book to me is one of the most cherished items I can receive.

I enjoyed Hosseini's second book -- not as much as the first -- and truly, it's one tragic event after another (I'm not spoiling anything here; most of the book takes place in Kabul). But tragedy, I appreciate, and a glimpse into another culture is not only fascinating but so important. We should learn something about the people who have lived with one war after another. It helps me appreciate the comfort I have, the security and freedom I take for granted daily.