4.5 ?? 
 This book was so good and possibly one of my favourites, though it is not one that I am likely to read again because of how tragic it was. 
 I also read 
 The Kite Runner 
 last year and I think I do prefer this book simply because it focusses on women, however I may be able to read that book again. 
 I don't even know what to say about this book, to be honest ! Except for the obvious fact: that it was certainly NOT a happy book, even the ~happy~ ending was interposed with sadness and regret and lies. 
 I liked the way that this book focussed on the women - Mariam and Laila - and I came to love both. At first, I was disappointed in the way that Hosseini left Mariam behind to begin on Laila's story, but in the end I was glad, as I loved both women as individual people even before they got together, and I think that this DID help my views on both of them as the story progressed and I could see both sides easier e.g. when they were not friendly with each other. Also, unlike some reviewers, I COULD see where Mariam was coming from in her animosity to Laila at first. 
 At first I simply did not like Rasheed. Sure, he seemed okay at the very beginning, but that day when he had a very nice day out with Mariam you could just TELL what he was going to do later ! And his behaviour as the book progressed got worse and worse ... he was honestly so disgusting and I hated him so much ! He was not a very well rounded character like some of the other characters as he seemed completely evil, but there WERE rounded characters such as Jalil and Laila and Mariam themselves, and perhaps Mariam's mother ... many of the other characters were not in the story enough to come into their own. 
 Unfortunately, some of the book did get a bit predictable for me; e.g. when Laila was about to leave Kabul, when Mariam and Laila were going to run away ... (view spoiler)[ It seemed obvious that something was going to get in their way and stop their escape, and I was right. (hide spoiler)] Also, there was another thing that made the book a whole lot happier, but it seemed too far fetched to me personally; (view spoiler)[the fact that Tariq was actually alive ? Sure it set the book up for a happy ending (of some fashion) but when his death was announced it seemed to be TOO MUCH of bad fortune for Laila ... wouldn't it have been better to have just left that out ? Losing him (by him moving) BOTH her best friends (one being killed, one moving away) and then BOTH her parents (by them being killed) was surely enough ? It did seem to lose the realism of the book a bit, for me personally (hide spoiler)] 
 Also ; that ending. In some respects it was happy and for that I was glad, but in some respects it was so sad ! (view spoiler)[ I was glad that Tariq and Laila were together and Laila had her children (even though I did not enjoy HOW Tariq was alive, as I previously mentioned) and that they had all got some sort of a life. However, what the hell happened to Mariam's storyline ? I was so sad !!! She died, and her father died not knowing that she forgave him (and she had forgiven him!) and she died not knowing that he cared enough about her for this ? I mean, she died and her life was terrible ... I can't even explain what I mean, perhaps I will think and get back to this ...) (hide spoiler)] 
 It was so touching, so terrible, and so awful. The whole way I was thinking of - and finding it so hard to grasp - the fact that there are girls my age and younger in this type of life, who seem to have so little rights. Children years younger than me who are married off to people double my age, triple my age, without the ability to freely say no! It is terrible to think of these things and it really gives me a glimpse of my own privilege and how lucky the women in this country are. Yes, it is not perfect, but we are still lucky it is undeniable.