A Thousand Splendid Suns: Context

Historical and Geographical Context

A Thousand Splendid Suns was written by Khaled Hosseini, an Afghan-American author.
The story is set in Afghanistan, spanning a period of over forty years, from the 1960s to the early 2000s.
This era saw some of the most traumatic political events in Afghanistan’s history, including the Saur Revolution, Soviet invasion, Mujahideen insurgency, the Taliban regime, and the post-Taliban rebuilding.
It provides a backdrop to the struggles of the main female characters, Mariam and Laila.

The novel explores Afghan society’s treatment of women, spotlighting gender roles, inequalities, and injustices.
It unveils the socio-cultural shift caused by the political turmoil in Afghanistan and the resultant impact on the lives of women in particular.
Islamic law under the Taliban rule imposed severe restrictions on women’s freedoms and rights, central to the story.
It investigates the concept of family, motherhood, and the strength of the bonds formed under challenging circumstances.

This is Hosseini’s second novel following his highly successful debut, “The Kite Runner.”
A major theme in the book is the exploration of love in its various forms: familial, romantic, and the love between friends.
It fuses traditional storytelling with modern novel techniques to compelling and powerful effect.
The work received widespread acclaim for its lyrical prose, compelling narrative, and its nuanced depiction of Afghanistan’s history and culture.

Khaled Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan. His family sought and was granted political asylum in the United States in 1980.
He worked as a physician for several years before turning his focus to writing following the success of “The Kite Runner.”
His personal involvement in humanitarian efforts in Afghanistan deeply influenced his writing and the themes explored in his books, such as the notions of survival, suffering, and resilience.
In “A Thousand Splendid Suns,” his diagnosis of his home country’s wounds is mixed with nostalgia and fondness for its cultural richness and history.
He founded the Khaled Hosseini Foundation that provides humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan.