Play Audiobook Sample
A Thousand Splendid Suns (Abridged): A Novel Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(4.00) - 385,875 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Publisher Description
AFTER MORE THAN TWO YEARS ON THE BESTSELLER LISTS, KHALED HOSSEINI RETURNS WITH A BEAUTIFUL, RIVETING, AND HAUNTING NOVEL OF ENORMOUS CONTEMPORARY RELEVANCE.
A Thousand Splendid Suns is a breathtaking story set against the volatile events of Afghanistan's last thirty years -- from the Soviet invasion to the reign of the Taliban to post-Taliban rebuilding -- that puts the violence, fear, hope and faith of this country in intimate, human terms. It is a tale of two generations of characters brought jarringly together by the tragic sweep of war, where personal lives -- the struggle to survive, raise a family, find happiness -- are inextricable from the history playing out around them.
Propelled by the same storytelling instinct that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic, A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once a remarkable chronicle of three decades of Afghan history and a deeply moving account of family and friendship. It is a striking, heart-wrenching novel of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and an indestructible love -- a stunning accomplishment.
Download and start listening now!
"This book was hard to read during the first half of it, very depressing about the life of poor Afghanistani women and what they had to endure daily, both married to one very abusive husband. My friend who recommended it encouraged me to keep reading. Very happy that I finished the book because the ending was an amazing! I read this book 3 years ago and still reflect back on how two women's quest for survival and to protect their children during these horrible times when the Taliban overtook their city."
— Margaret (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
-
“[Love] is the emotion—subterranean, powerful, beautiful, illicit, and infitely patient—that suffuses the pages of Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns.”
— O, The Oprah Magazine -
“Spectacular…Hosseini’s writing makes our hearts ache, our stomachs clench, and our emotions reel.”
— USA Today -
“A brave, honorable, big-hearted book.”
— Washington Post Book World -
“Hosseini has the storytelling gift…[He] offers us the sweep of historic upheavals narrated with the intimacy of family and village life.”
— Los Angeles Times -
“Hosseini’s bewitching narrative captures the intimate details of life in a world where it’s a struggle to survive, skillfully inserting this human story in to the larger backdrop of recent history.”
— San Francisco Chronicle
Awards
-
Winner of the 2008 British Book Award for Best Read of the Year
-
A #1 New York Times bestseller
-
A 2007 Time Magazine Top 10 Book for Fiction
A Thousand Splendid Suns Listener Reviews
-
" By the end of this book, I had tears in my eyes and foreboding in my heart. A heartrending account of what women suffer in Afghanistan. "
— Meredith Doig, 11/14/2022 -
" I liked how all the stories interlinked in the book. I would have like to know what happened to Rasheed to make him so malicious and evil. "
— Lindsey, 2/14/2014 -
" From the same author as "Kite Runner". "
— Janet, 2/12/2014 -
" Loved this as much as the Kite Runner! Excellent author "
— Susan, 2/3/2014 -
" Loved this book even more than the "Kite Runner". Women are women the world over and this book makes a common bond between us no matter what county we live in. "
— Suzane, 1/29/2014 -
" I really enjoyed this book. Hosseini does really well describing the emotions of both women so that the reader can connect with them. "
— Bailey, 1/29/2014 -
" Remarkable story... a true reflection of a woman's status in a country that has little value of women. "
— Angela, 1/25/2014 -
" It made me too sad to continue after reading 260 pages but I made my sister (who read the whole book) to tell me the story. It's an awesome, powerful story. Quite different from The Kite Runner. Best Khaled Hosseini book :) "
— Samiha, 1/9/2014 -
" Although I must admit it was a well-written piece, I found it too disturbing to enjoy it... I understand it tries to portray a very sad reality in our world, but it just was too much for me. Guess I am too sensitive to human suffering... "
— Ele, 11/24/2013 -
" The Kite Runner was just so astonishing, that even though this book is also great, it pales in comparison. But they are both fantastic reads, and they make you face a lot of tough realities. "
— Sheri, 11/14/2013 -
" A compelling read but not a masterpiece. Kite Runner better. "
— Janet, 11/5/2013 -
" After The Kite Runner, it was hard to imagine the Hosseini could create another such insightful and moving story about the lives and plight of women in the Middle East. "
— June, 10/28/2013 -
" A sad tale. This is definitely not a "feel-good" book but still a story I feel the world needs to hear... "
— Nicholas, 10/20/2013 -
" As riveting as The Kite Runner and just as touching. "
— Debbie, 10/20/2013 -
" Mariam and Laila shared a bond that didn't need blood to bind them. This book is a testament of a woman's capacity to endure. Beautifully written. "
— Sneha, 8/8/2013 -
" It is a really sad book. It was possibly the only book that had me feel sad inside. I would say that this is a good book to read. I would recommend it to anyone. "
— Sak, 4/5/2013 -
" Possibly my favorite work of fiction...ever. "
— Chip, 9/7/2012 -
" This wasn't as good as The Kite Runner but still a good story. "
— Edye, 8/10/2012 -
" As good as, if not better than The Kite Runner. An excellent novel. "
— Leo, 7/25/2012 -
" I loved this book. I felt invested in the lives of the characters and I felt like my eyes were opened to a world/way of life that hadn't noticed before. "
— Angela, 2/3/2012 -
" A simply captivating story, which transported me to a completely different world. A world of sometimes terror, unhappiness, loss and fear but also of great love, comfort, friendship and tenderness. I loved this book. "
— Claire, 8/13/2011 -
" Excellent book, but hard to read at times. I wouldn't want to be a woman in Afghanistan. "
— Kathryn, 7/17/2011 -
" I said thank God I didnt born in Afghan after reading this book. "
— Shweta, 5/24/2011 -
" This was one of the best and most heart-wrenching stories I've ever read. I could not put it down! "
— Sarah, 5/24/2011 -
" Sad and touching- a must read! "
— Erika, 5/24/2011 -
" The ending of this book made me cry and have a renewed sense of hope and strength. "
— RoseAnna, 5/24/2011 -
" I can't wait until his next book. I hope he keeps writing.... "
— Jackie, 5/24/2011 -
" a good read. i thought "The Kite Runner" was better literature, though. "
— Kristi, 5/23/2011 -
" Outstanding isn't a good enough word for this one. "
— Dana, 5/23/2011 -
" Could not put this book down. Probably one of the best books I've read in a really long time. I cried through the last several chapeters. AWESOME "
— Crystal, 5/23/2011 -
" After the Kite runner, one would think that he cannot do a better job. Yet, as you read a thousand splendid suns, the author never stops to amaze you. A book you cannot leave till the very end. "
— Rula, 5/23/2011 -
" One of those books that I started before going to bed one night and ended up finishing it sometime early the next morning. Made me cry about a million times - such a good book!! "
— Stacey, 5/23/2011 -
" So....I only gave it one star. I mostly just skimmed right through it. I had a really hard time with the subject matter, which is maybe why I didn't really sit down and really read it through. "
— Laura, 5/22/2011 -
" An overwhelming description of oppression of women and how they survive despite incredible odds and still maintain their integrity as human beings. What resilient women. "
— Elizabeth, 5/22/2011 -
" Hosseini is a good writer, and though I may have preferred The Kite Runner, this is a very good book. "
— Kelly, 5/22/2011 -
" definitely one of my all time favorite books. so far. "
— Anna, 5/22/2011 -
" An outsider's view about insider afghan. "
— Abhishek, 5/22/2011
About Khaled Hosseini
Khaled Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, and moved to the United States in 1980. His first novel, The Kite Runner, was an international bestseller, published in forty countries. In 2006 he was named a US envoy to UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency. He lives in Northern California.
About Atossa Leoni
Atossa Leoni has been working internationally in film, television, and theater since childhood. Atossa played the female lead “Soraya” in Marc Forster’s film The Kite Runner, based on Khaled Hosseini’s bestselling novel. She currently resides in New York City.