A Thousand Splendid Suns

Author:  Hosseini, Khaled

This story follows the life of two women: we see the first as she uncovers the the character of her father and his home, and is thrown into making her own, we view the second living in her own paradise until a bombing rips her and the world she has known a part. Together the women must fight each other, find themselves, and and learn to survive.

Hosseini manages to effectively convey the sense of loss, desire for hope in a seemingly hopeless situation, the will to fight. The development of the characters was well though out. The plot was artfully done as it weaves through the lives of the main characters while telling the stories which produce them as well. The reader is given the ability to live the lives of both women from their early youth through adulthood, enjoying the happiness of each, feeling their emotions towards the world and each other both separate and together. This element of experiencing both lives simultaneously is a great help in contrasting the women's characters, and understanding their relationship when their worlds finally meet. It is a beautiful experience one which at times felt much like torture due to the gloom nature of various occurrence, but it was beautiful nonetheless.

Though I live for emotion and find visuals as a secondary element, both were mixed so well that I could feel the bright colours, the brilliant sun, the dust, the smoke, the dark as the story moved and as the settings changed. Each setting possessed a very vivid, and emotional quality so that the reader lives the smoky and the instructed freedom of the streets, and the dark, cold one of the home just as much as the green serenity of their cottage hideaway. 

I was very expectant of a different ending, and having gotten to the last pages in the book, I stopped. I thought. I ran through the entire book mentally because the end, didn't feel like an end. And then I breathed. Having relived the book I saw the triumphs and they were many. I saw the strength, the hope, and the happiness. And I felt complete.

I loved this book. Reading it hurt, opened my eyes to another world as it is set with the backdrop of the Muslim religion, and opened me to the truth that the silver lining is sometimes veiled with the smoke of the last explosion.  By the end of the book I was moved to respect the persons who live through turmoil within their own lands as slaves, or second-rated citizens.

Refugee Boy

Author:  Zephaniah, Benjamin

It was out of nostalgia that I pick this book from the library shelf. There was something about it that reminded me of Chris Cleave's Little Bee. It could have been the texture of the cover, the bright orange which was used in their cover designs or both. I don't know. Grabbing the book from the shelf I quickly checked the author and title. It wasn't a Cleave piece but I was still intrigued to read it and so I did. 

An adolescent boy who holds dual citizenship is left homeless when both countries begin a vicious war. His family is unable to live in peace. In an effort to save him, he is taken to England but is met with resistance and hardship which he must face in relative solitude.

 

The first thing noted was the second chapter, which is identical to the first with the exception of several words. This was questioned at first: Could the point have been made in twenty words? Then another question followed: Would the impact have been the same? No. The reader would not have felt it as much. The likeness of the warring countries would not have been as evident. It was a great beginning and the skill of the author showed throughout the book.

The expression was clear and captivating. The characters were perfectly thought out and in equal proportion to the relationships between them. Each was an independent thread adding to the beauty of the fabric when intertwined. The humility of the characters sets them apart from a world of selfish beings and it is this which also binds them. It was refreshing to read of a young man whose mind was focused on the good, whose character was elevated and whose understanding and self-control was well honed.

It was a pleasure to read; the author has managed to thrill outside of a thriller, instruct outside of a guide and inspire in a way that is awe-inspiring.

May he write long and live strong