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4.48 AVERAGE
4.48 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A beautiful, heartbreaking story of struggle, survival, and female friendship. A story spanning many years, and the way that individual lives interact with the social and political realities of the world.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, War
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This wasn't an easy book to read for a few reasons. Initially I had a hard time connecting with the characters. The plot was slow as we learnt about Mariam and Laila's respective pasts before their paths converged. I did not know where the plot was going and it was confusing to keep up with the politics. Slowly, as Laila and Mariam got to know each other, I got to know them too. I found myself getting angrier the more I read about how women in Afghan were treated. They could not walk on the streets without a man, they had to wear burqas out, there was only one poorly equipped hospital for woman, they had to undergo C-section surgeries without anesthesia. The author explained in his note that he decided to write this story because he could not think of a topic more important than the struggle of women in his country. Although the world we live in now has improved, it is simply not good enough. I still get harassed by men when I am on the train home, when I am walking to a restaurant to meet my friends, and even when I am in school. This book was not an easy read, but it was such an important one.
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
dark
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated