A Thousand Splendid Suns Introduction

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A Thousand Splendid Suns

Time period 1959 - 2002

Setting: Afghanistan

Author: Khaled Hosseini

Afghan-American

Born in Kabul, 1965

Moved to USA, 1970

Practices internal medicine

His second novel (2007); his first novel was The Kite Runner (2003)

This first novel was:

• First Afghan novel to be written in English.
• Over 9 million copies sold worldwide.
  
• Translated into over 25 languages.
  
• Is on the list of "Banned and Challenged Books"
  
• Graphic details, sexual violence
  
• The film was banned in Afghanistan.
  
• The child actors left Afghanistan for safety reasons. 

Words that come to mind
when you think of Afghanistan?

Afghanistan

• Landlocked (Pakistan, China, Iran, etc..)
•  Mountainous
• Modern country in 1960s and 1970s -> no headscarves, women went to school, art, music, fashion shows
• Always an interesting country in bigger conflicts for power between the West and the East (USA/England - Soviet Union)
• Soviet-Union supported coup d'etat
• Soviet Union attacked from the North and took over Kabul
• Afghan president that listened to the Russians
• Chaos in Afghanistan - Russia soldiers didn't know what they were doing there. Thought they were fighting against the USA. 
• Struggle for power in Afghanistan - Taliban won - Islamic republic -> 9/11 -> war in Afghanistan -> Bin Laden 

A Thousand Splendid Suns

the author

Khaled Hosseini

Trailer 

For Tuesday Feb. 2nd

Read the first five chapters of the novel 

(pp. 3 - 40)