Pabasara Wijesinghe

Reading A thousand splendid suns in 2023 hits differently. Because in reality Afganistán has returned back to what it was before 2001 and the hopeful positive world where Khaled Hosseini has ended the story has turned upside down. I couldn’t help but wonder how Laila might be feeling now. All her dreams of a progressive future in Kabul might have shattered now. I wonder about Aziza and Zalmai who are young adults by now. Have they left the country again? Have Zalmai grown in to a man who knows what is right and wrong. Who understands the pain and suffering his mother and sister went through. I hope he’s a Tariq in a world full of Rasheeds. I hope he’s fighting the good fight and protects the women in his life. The only consolation we readers have is knowing that even though the outside world is dark again, inside their home, Laila is in good hands of a man who knows her value. For all the Lailas in Afghanistan and around the world, be brave and keep fighting.