Book Book

My Thoughts:

This book is about two women growing up in Afghanistan while the war was still going on in the country. The author does two things in this novel, first is explaining Afghanistan's history, political turmoil, etc; and the second is portraying how women experience life in a "male conquered" society. Women are treated like mere objects and I truly pity the female characters in the story, Mariam and Laila.

The main character Mariam is a harami, an illegitimate child. As she grew up, her mother keeps on telling her that you are a harami, you'll never find happiness. Because of what her mother said to her during her childhood, she didn't really care about what happened to her later on in the story. See what a mother can do.

Throughout the story,Mariam and Laila was constantly abused by their husband (polygamy) and the author describes the scenes vividly so you can't help but feel for them. For example, he whips them with a belt, he forces Mariam to eat stones, he throws them against the wall, he even locks them up in completely dark rooms without food or water for days. Of course the author writes in it a more detailed way.

They try to run away and seek help from a guy but then he betrays them and they were sent back to their husband. So what else, abuse.

Laila then met her childhood lover one day, but unfortunately her husband found out. So, abuse. They fight fight fight then Mariam also join. He got out of control and almost killed Laila but Mariam came to the rescue and killed him instead. Guess what happens next, Mariam was given a death sentence even though she was just defending herself. Why, because in that country at that time (in the story) what happens in one's household is none of the authority's business.

See how women are being treated. This is just a few paragraphs, try reading the whole book then I'm sure you'll feel how I feel.

Here's one line I cannot forget from the book: "Just like how a compass always points North, a man's accusing finger always points to a woman." How true is this statement? What do you think?