Splendid Suns

I finished Khaled Hosseini's new novel A Thousand Splendid Suns yesterday. Following Afghanistan's history through the eyes of two female protagonists upset and startled me. The city of Kabul has been through disasters that Hosseini captured in his writing but I refuse to create pictures for. Just today on NPR I heard a story that echoed the horrors that the city faces on a regular basis; school age children were killed by the Taliban. The complexities of the conflicts there still dumbfound and while the novel exposes the civil strife, I still cannot claim to have any understanding of the misfortunes the people of that region experience.
I felt more connected to the characters than the ones in The Kite Runner because of the challenges of being a wife and a mother. One character cannot have a child, which made me even more grateful that I am able to carry a baby. One overall theme I extracted from the book was that of pride. The women upheld a strong sense of self despite their circumstances. Mariam and Laila lived with an uncommon courage in times of utter chaos. As the inferior sex, both women burdened degradation with grace and beauty.

Today I saw two former students, Courtney and Melodie, at the beach in Greenwich. Both have these amazing summer plans that include: enrichment courses, volunteer work, travel, driving classes, lifeguard training, AP coursework, reading, and hanging out with family and friends. Unbelievable opportunities for two well-deserving, amazing young ladies-a stark contrast to the women I just read about.

After reading a book like that and hearing the news affirm the reality of the situation, my global consciousness has certainly been heightened. Though my reality, chatting with ladies like Courtney and Mel, and trekking to the beach to read and relax, sits on the farthest end of the spectrum from the people residing in Kabul, Afghanistan. And I sigh with gratitude...


Music: "Freedom Train" Lenny Kravitz- Let Love Rule