A Thousand Splendid SunsA Thousand Splendid Suns
Score Modern
What it's about
Mariam is the illegitimate daughter of a wealthy man in Herat, married off at fifteen to Rasheed, a much older shoemaker in Kabul. Nearly twenty years later, as Afghanistan is torn apart by Soviet occupation, civil war and the rise of the Taliban, a young girl named Laila is orphaned and taken into the same household. The two women, rivals at first, form a bond that becomes their only hope of survival.
Why it's worth reading
It's an emotional, unforgettable story of friendship and endurance, with two heroines readers never forget. Many people find it even more powerful than Hosseini's The Kite Runner.
You'll love it if you liked
The Kite Runner
Pachinko
The Color PurpleGood to know
There's severe domestic violence throughout, and it's heartbreaking. It spans about thirty years of Afghan history.
By the numbers
- Readers98 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller91 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #4 of the 219 young adult books we rank
- #36 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #68 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
More by Khaled Hosseini
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Quick answers
Is A Thousand Splendid Suns worth reading?
Yes. It's an emotional, unforgettable story of friendship and endurance, with two heroines readers never forget. It ranks #68 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 87.9 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is A Thousand Splendid Suns about?
Mariam is the illegitimate daughter of a wealthy man in Herat, married off at fifteen to Rasheed, a much older shoemaker in Kabul. Nearly twenty years later, as Afghanistan is torn apart by Soviet occupation, civil war and the rise of the Taliban, a young girl named Laila is orphaned and taken into the same household. The two women, rivals at first, form a bond that becomes their only hope of survival.
How long does it take to read A Thousand Splendid Suns?
About 9 hours (372 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after A Thousand Splendid Suns?
If you liked it, try The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, Pachinko by Min Jin Lee or The Color Purple by Alice Walker.