Despite radically different upbringings - Mariam grows up in 1960s conservative rural Afghanistan, Laila grows up in 1980s liberal Kabul - their lives become intertwined in the chaotic and deadly aftermath of the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan and eventual rise of the Taliban.

I’m so glad that this was the #AroundTheWorldBookClub21 choice for Afghanistan last month, because I’ve had it on my TBR for ages and it is excellent (unsurprisingly, given its enduring popularity). I loved that it challenged the simplified Western narrative that Afghanistan was liberal, then the Taliban came along and women’s rights were suddenly completely removed - Hosseini does an excellent job of showing that it’s obviously more complicated than that and sure, Kabul was generally liberal (though not everyone living there was), but that wasn’t necessarily the case elsewhere in Afghanistan. The development of Mariam and Laila’s relationship was complex and beautiful, and their generational difference plays into the book’s exploration of mother-daughter relationships. I also loved the inclusion of some of Afghanistan’s rich cultural history, and its deliberate destruction by the Taliban - the oppression extends to Afghanistan herself, not just her women. The book ends in 2003 and I wonder how the hopes and dreams of the characters at the end of the book would have panned out - reading the book now with the imminent withdrawal of US troops adds even more poignancy and calls back to the Soviet retreat in the book. A wonderfully-written story of love and friendship, making choices and sacrifices to survive, and the utter powerlessness of women under the Taliban.