A Thousand Splendid Suns

Mariam was five years old the first time she heard the word harami." (Hosseini 3) This is the first sentence of the book. We later learn that harami means 'bastard' in Arabic. To me, this opener is kind of....harsh, I guess is a good way to put it. So far the first few chapters have been about Mariam (the protagonist) and her woeful first years. Her father was a rich businessman who had an affair with the maid (Mariam's mother). Once her baby bump started to show, Mariam's mother was cast out of the household, and sent to a clearing where Jalil (Mariam's father) build them a "...rathole." (pg 9) The two have been living there in poverty ever since they were exiled from Jalil's home. Mariam is always looking forward to the next visit from her father, when he will sit her on his lap and tell her stories of far away places, and about how overjoyed he was when he found out that his daughter had been born. Mariam's mother scorns Jalil, and tells Mariam that her father is a selfish man who didn't come for two weeks to see her after Mariam had been born. Mariam believes her father's account of the story, and feels closer to him, even though she only sees him once every week or so.

I think this little explanation of mine may have rambled a bit, so I apologize if its difficult to read. I'm not going to start judging the book until I get a little farther that two chapters in, so don't ask me what I think of it.