Journal Entry 1 by mance from Newcastle Emlyn, Wales United Kingdom on Friday, April 18, 2008

From the author of the Kite Runner. A tale of two women who, at different times, marry as young women an older man. Whilst their country goes through numerous upheavals and wars, the home life of both is traumatic, violent, yet always holding a feint glimmer of a better future. A horrifying read that is shocking and yet ultimately positive about people's ability to cope. 

Journal Entry 2 by Originalmulli at Llandyfriog, Wales United Kingdom on Sunday, October 16, 2011

I took this from my husband Mance and read it 2 or 3 years ago now but it is probably the book which has most stayed with me of anything I have EVER read. When reading this I remembered how I used to get campaigning emails asking me to sign petitions against the treatment of women in Afghanistan (not being allowed into hospitals even to give birth, public executions in former football stadiums, the legalisation of beating any woman walking in the street without a man, etc); this is a work of fiction but somehow it finally brought home to me that those things in the emails I quickly deleted were REAL.

It is indeed horrifying and shocking but is arguably an essential read about the recent history of a country we very controversially went to war with, and is flawlessly written.