A thousand splendid suns by Khaled Hosseini

This book is an unforgettable story about two different women thrown together in troubled times of the Taliban in Kabul. Mariam is only fifteen when she is sent to Kabul to marry the violent bitter Rasheed, who is thirty years older. Nearly two decades later, in a climate of growing unrest, tragedy strikes the fifteen year old Laila, who has to leave her home & join Mariam's unhappy household. Lalia & Mariam finally find consolation in each other, despite their different backgrounds. When the Taliban arrive in Kabul, life becomes a struggle against brutality, starvation & fear. The women's ensurance is tested beyond their worst imaginings and they carry out a dangerous mission. In the end, love triumps over death & destruction & life behind a burkha. A fascinating insight into what women have to put up with in Afghanistan.