Why , why, WHY, dear God..?

Some time back, on an impulse, I bought The Kite Runner from my roadside book guy. I have never regretted that impulse which introduced me to one of the humanest writers I have ever come across. I was utterly moved (after a long time) by the story, the protagonists (to me more than Amir, innocent, vulnerable loyal Hassan was the soul of the book) and the stark reality of the horror that was life in Afghanistan under the Taliban. Khaled Hosseini wove a story of dark bestial deeds by an inhuman people, but in between, he deftly wove in some strands of human kindness and gentleness and love that came back to haunt you....

After that, when I got to know of his second book- A Thousand Splendid Sons- I was not at all eager to buy it. I was yet to get over The Kite Runner, and I did not want to be so disturbed again. But then, like a moth to a flame, I was drawn to it against my will, and I bought it...and once again, I was burnt.
Mariam's life seemed to be one long endurance ... In spite of enduring so much, that she has it in her to be the saviour of her husband's second wife brings out the beauty of human nature. The novel simultaneously makes you wonder at the weakness and strength of womankind in the face of male bestiality.

I would recommend both these novels to anybody for , if nothing, they make you count your blessings which seem to be NUMEROUS when compared to Hassan or Laila or Mariam or Sohrab. Hassan's son almost made me cry.
Both those novels were behind me, and while I felt deeply for the women and children of Afghanistan, there is not much you or I can do, except read and hope that the writer was taking some liberties with reality and pray that God does something for these distraught people....

And then, I read a post by a friend of mine, which brought to mind afresh the torment that it is to be born a woman in Afghanistan. Do read through this post about a little girl in Afghanistan, whose life is worse than fiction.....


It would be better to be born anything in Afghanistan than a woman - a rat, a dog, an insect...anything! After reading it, all I could hope was that the mullah would be some person like the Director of the Orphanage in The Kite Runner. Not able to outwit the sytem, but doing what he could to make things at least somewhat better...The poor poor girl.