Have you read a Khaled Husseini book? Watched the movies? I have only read A Thousand Splendid Sun, but I have watched The Kite Runner with a friend. Both were poignant and remarkable. The message that his stories convey is inner strength and HOPE when there is no room left but for hope in the tragic lives of his characters, the triumph of love and of the human spirit over evil and abuse.

Needless to say, this intricate tapestry of fine characters and heartrending plight, of diaspora, of discrimination and loss,  of loyalty and friendship, is captivating. The devastation you witness is authentic. Lives are genuinely conveyed, emotions are so skillfully transferred; dreadfulness, evil and cruelty jump out of the pages to stare you in the face. After the tale telling ends, Mariam and Hassan remain.

The most recent novel, And the Mountains Echoed, should be nothing short of another masterpiece. It’s a tale through generations about the friendship of two very different women, shaken by the soviet invasion of Afghanistan, self sacrifice, devotion, hopes and growth; I can’t wait to get my hands on it.

It’s an Amazon Best Book of The Month, May 2013. I will definitely update after I read it!