Khaled Hosseini’s acclaimed novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, illuminates the resilience of Afghan women amidst decades of devastating conflict.
This novel follows Mariam and Laila, two women from different generations whose lives collide in war-torn Kabul, navigating oppression under their shared husband, Rasheed, while forging an unbreakable bond.
This curated collection presents 47 quotes, verified with page numbers from the 2008 Riverhead Books paperback edition. Organized by theme, these lines capture the novel’s core concerns: suffering, endurance, love, connection, and hope.
Born into shame or thrust into chaos, Mariam and Laila face a world intent on diminishing them, learning early the harsh lessons of endurance.
Endurance, Suffering, and Injustice
The novel unflinchingly portrays the immense suffering and systemic injustice faced, particularly by women, amidst decades of conflict and oppressive regimes in Afghanistan.
“Learn this now and learn it well. Like a compass facing north, a man’s accusing finger always finds a woman. Always. You remember that, Mariam.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Character: Nana to Mariam), Chapter 1, Page 7
Nana imparts a bitter lesson shaped by her own experience, highlighting the pervasive misogyny and lack of accountability for men within their society.
“Only one skill. And it’s this: tahamul. Endure.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Character: Nana to Mariam), Chapter 4, Page 18
“It’s our lot in life, Mariam. Women like us. We endure. It’s all we have.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Character: Nana to Mariam), Chapter 4, Page 19
“Mariam lay on the couch, hands tucked between her knees, watched the whirlpool of snow twisting and spinning outside the window. She remembered Nana saying once that each snowflake was a sigh heaved by an aggrieved woman somewhere in the world. That all the sighs drifted up the sky, gathered into clouds, then broke into tiny pieces that fell silently on the people below. As a reminder of how people like us suffer, she’d said. How quietly we endure all that falls upon us.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Narrator about Mariam recalling Nana), Chapter 13, Page 91
This evocative imagery connects the quiet, persistent suffering of women to the natural world, suggesting its universality and inevitability.
“Of all the hardships a person had to face, none was more punishing than the simple act of waiting.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Narrator about Laila waiting for Tariq), Chapter 18, Page 126
“The grief kept surprising Mariam. All it took to unleash it was her thinking of the unfinished crib… Mariam was dumbfounded that she could miss in such a crippling manner a being she had never even seen.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Narrator about Mariam after her miscarriage), Chapter 14, Page 93
“It wasn’t the fear of bleeding to death that made her drop the spoke… Laila dropped the spoke because she could not accept what the Mujahideen readily had: that sometimes in war innocent life had to be taken… And there had been enough killing already.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Narrator about Laila choosing not to abort Rasheed’s child), Chapter 26, Page 196
“There is no shame in this, Mariam,” he said, slurring a little. “It’s what married people do. It’s what the Prophet himself and his wives did There is no shame.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Character: Rasheed to Mariam after forcing himself on her), Chapter 10, Page 65
“Mariam heard their door open violently. In the morning, she would find the doorknob’s circular impression in the hallway wall.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Narrator describing Rasheed’s violence after Aziza is born), Chapter 33, Page 241
“Mariam saw now the sacrifices a mother made. Decency was but one… Nana had endured the shame of bearing a harami, had shaped her life around the thankless task of raising Mariam and, in her own way, of loving her.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Narrator about Mariam reflecting on Nana), Chapter 47, Page 369
“Though there had been moments of beauty, Mariam knew that life for the most part had been unkind to her.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Narrator about Mariam’s final thoughts), Chapter 47, Page 370
“Now nothing she did pleased him. She cleaned the house, made sure he always had a supply of clean shirts, cooked him his favorite dishes. Once, disastrously, she even bought makeup and put it on for him. But when he came home, he took one look at her and winced with such distaste that she rushed to the bathroom and washed it all off…”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Narrator describing Mariam’s attempts to please Rasheed after miscarriages), Chapter 14, Page 94
“And the past held only this wisdom: that love was a damaging mistake, and its accomplice, hope, a treacherous illusion. And whenever those twin poisonous flowers began to sprout… Mariam uprooted them.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Narrator about Mariam’s worldview before Laila/Aziza), Chapter 35, Page 256
“Where I come from, one wrong look, one improper word, and blood is spilled. Where I come from, a woman’s face is her husband’s business only.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Character: Rasheed to Mariam), Chapter 10, Page 62
“’He smells like goh, and has fewer teeth than fingers,’ Naghma said of the tailor.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Character: Naghma describing her suitor), Chapter 47, Page 367
“But it did no good, all this fault laying, all these harangues of accusations bouncing in her head. It was kufr, sacrilege, to think these thoughts.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Narrator about Mariam’s guilt after her miscarriage), Chapter 14, Page 94
“Mariam, who had never heard of Nixon, or the scandal that had forced him to resign, did not say anything back. She waited anxiously for Rasheed to finish talking, to crush his cigarette, and take his leave.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Narrator describing Mariam’s disinterest in Rasheed’s talk), Chapter 10, Page 59
“But you mustn’t blame her. She is quiet. A blessing, really, because, wallah, if a person hasn’t got much to say she might as well be stingy with words. We are city people, you and I, but she is dehati. A village girl.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Character: Rasheed describing Mariam to Laila), Chapter 31, Page 222
Despite the brutality and constraints imposed upon them, Mariam and Laila discover profound connections and unexpected forms of love and family.
Love, Connection, and Family
Beyond romantic love, the novel explores the deep bonds of friendship, maternal love, sisterhood, and shared experience that become lifelines in a fractured world.
“A man’s heart is a wretched, wretched thing. It isn’t like a mother’s womb. It won’t bleed. It won’t stretch to make room for you.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Character: Nana to Mariam about Jalil), Chapter 5, Page 27
“Behind every trial and sorrow that He makes us shoulder, God has a reason.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Character: Mullah Faizullah to Mariam), Chapter 6, Page 26
“Mariam Joan, minus the ‘o’.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Character: Jalil explaining Mariam’s name), Chapter 2, Page 10
“Boys, Laila came to see, treated friendship the way they treated the sun: its existence undisputed; its radiance best enjoyed, not beheld directly.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Narrator about Laila observing boys), Chapter 19, Page 133
“’What do I care? I don’t keep count,’ Laila lied, shrugging, loving him for remembering Mammy had no idea that Tariq had left.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Laila responding to Babi about Tariq’s absence), Chapter 16, Page 111
“That’s your business, isn’t it, cousin? To make nothing your business. Even your own sons going to war.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Character: Mammy (Fariba) to Babi), Chapter 16, Page 112
“For the first time since they were on the floor, she raised her eyes to meet his. She searched his face. There was no playfulness this time. His look was one of conviction, of guileless yet ironclad earnestness.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Narrator describing Laila looking at Tariq after their first intimate encounter), Chapter 25, Page 182
“’It’s my father I can’t leave,’ Laila said ‘I’m all he has left. His heart couldn’t take it either.’”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Character: Laila to Tariq), Chapter 25, Page 183
“The Chinese say it’s better to be deprived of food for three days than tea for one.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Character: Laila to Mariam), Chapter 34, Page 250
“And in this fleeting, wordless exchange with Mariam, Laila knew that they were not enemies any longer.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Narrator describing the shift between Laila and Mariam), Chapter 34, Page 250
This marks the turning point where shared circumstance and burgeoning empathy begin to forge a bond stronger than enmity.
“For me, it ends here. There’s nothing more I want. Everything I’d ever wished for as a little girl you’ve already given me. You and your children have made me so very happy.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Character: Mariam to Laila), Chapter 46, Page 358
Mariam finds unexpected fulfillment and purpose not through marriage or traditional paths, but through her fierce love for Laila and Aziza.
“and yet she was leaving the world as a woman who had loved and been loved back. she was leaving it as a friend, a companion, a guardian. a mother. a person of consequence at last.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Narrator about Mariam’s final thoughts), Chapter 47, Page 370
Despite a life defined by illegitimacy and abuse, Mariam finds peace and profound meaning in her final moments through the love she shared with Laila and Aziza.
“Mariam wished for so much in those final moments… She thought of her entry into this world, the harami child… A weed. And yet she was leaving the world as a woman who had loved and been loved back… This was a legitimate end to a life of illegitimate beginnings.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Narrator about Mariam’s final thoughts), Chapter 47, Page 370
“Mariam regretted her foolish, youthful pride now. She wished now that she had let him in… He was her father. He’d not been a good father, it was true, but how ordinary his faults seemed now, how forgivable, when compared to Rasheed’s malice…”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Narrator about Mariam reflecting on Jalil), Chapter 43, Page 331
“Regret… when it comes to you, I have oceans of it.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Character: Jalil Khan in a letter to Mariam), Chapter 50, Page 405
“Perhaps this is just punishment for those who have been heartless, to understand only when nothing can be undone.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Character: Jalil Khan in a letter to Mariam), Chapter 50, Page 405
“A woman who will be like a rock in a riverbed, enduring without complaint, her grace not sullied but shaped by the turbulence that washes over her.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Character: The Narrator describing the imagined future Mariam), Chapter 50, Page 401
“Laila watches Mariam glue strands of yarn onto her doll’s head… Already Laila sees something behind this young girl’s eyes… something as hard and unyielding as a block of limestone. Something that, in the end, will be her undoing and Laila’s salvation.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Character: The Narrator about Laila watching a vision of young Mariam), Chapter 50, Page 401
Against overwhelming forces, the characters demonstrate profound resilience and cling to fragments of hope.
Hope and Resilience
Even in the darkest circumstances, the novel finds moments of beauty, connection, and the enduring human capacity to hope for a better future, symbolized by the ‘thousand splendid suns.’
“I’ll die if you go. The jinn will come, and I’ll have one of my fits. You’ll see, I’ll swallow my tongue and die.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Character: Nana trying to guilt Mariam), Chapter 5, Page 28
“’I’m going to be a mother,’ she said. Then she was laughing to herself, and saying it over and over, relishing the words.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Character: Mariam reacting to her first pregnancy), Chapter 13, Page 90
“Give sustenance, Allah. Give sustenance to me.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Character: Mariam praying after burying the baby coat), Chapter 14, Page 96
“You’re a very, very bright girl. Truly, you are. You can be anything you want, Laila.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Character: Babi to Laila), Chapter 16, Page 114
Babi expresses a progressive hope for Laila’s future and her potential role in rebuilding Afghanistan, emphasizing the importance of women’s education.
“I know you’re still young but I want you to understand and learn this now… when this war is over Afghanistan is going to need you as much as its men maybe even more.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Character: Babi to Laila), Chapter 16, Page 114
“I’ll follow you to the end of the world.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Character: Tariq to Laila), Chapter 50, Page 391
“Laila has moved on. Because in the end she knows that’s all she can do. That and hope.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Character: The Narrator about Laila), Chapter 51, Page 411
“But Laila has decided that she will not be crippled by resentment… Laila has moved on. Because in the end she knows that’s all she can do. That and hope.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Character: The Narrator about Laila), Chapter 51, Page 411
“Joseph shall return to Canaan, grieve not, Hovels shall turn to rose gardens, grieve not. If a flood should arrive, to drown all that’s alive, Noah is your guide in the typhoon’s eye, grieve not.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Poem by Hafez, written by Zaman), Chapter 51, Page 413
These lines, displayed at the orphanage, offer a powerful message of hope and resilience, promising restoration even after devastation.
“She wished she could visit Mariam’s grave… But she sees now that it doesn’t matter. Mariam is never very far… Mariam is in her own heart, where she shines with the bursting radiance of a thousand suns.”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Character: The Narrator about Laila reflecting on Mariam), Chapter 51, Page 414
Laila realizes Mariam’s presence transcends physical location; her love and sacrifice endure within Laila’s heart, illuminating her life like the “thousand splendid suns” of the poem.
“But the game involves only male names. Because, if it’s a girl, Laila has already named her”
~Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, (Character: The Narrator about Laila considering her unborn child), Chapter 51, Page 418
Conclusion: Love as Defiance
These 47 quotes from A Thousand Splendid Suns chart the harrowing, interwoven journeys of Mariam and Laila through decades of Afghan turmoil. Hosseini’s powerful narrative reveals the profound resilience forged in female friendship and the enduring strength of the human spirit against devastating oppression and violence.
This heartbreaking yet ultimately affirming story is a testament to sacrifices made, injustices borne, and the inextinguishable light found in love and connection. Even behind the darkest walls, Mariam and Laila’s lives demonstrate how a thousand splendid suns can radiate from the human heart.
To find more quotes exploring the depths of the human spirit, explore More Literary Quote Collections.
A Note on Page Numbers & Edition:
We meticulously sourced these quotes from A Thousand Splendid Suns (Riverhead Books; Reprint edition, November 25, 2008, ISBN-13: 978-1594483851). Like memories shaped by time, page numbers can vary between editions. Always verify against your copy for accurate citations!
Jeremy Mortis, founder of Ageless Investing, applies a rigorous analytical approach (the AAM framework) to distill timeless wisdom and contextualized quotes from classic literature, saving you time while deepening understanding. Learn more about Jeremy’s unique background and methodology on his author bio page.