Mariam is only fifteen when she is sent to Kabul to marry Rasheed。 Nearly two decades later， a friendship grows between Mariam and a local teenager， Laila， as strong as the ties between mother and daughter。 When the Taliban take over， life becomes a desperate struggle against starvation， brutality and fear。 Yet love can move a person to act in unexpected ways， and lead them to overcome the most daunting obstacles with a startling heroism。

The sense of longing evoked in Khaled Hosseini's Alf shams sati'a is compelling and universal: the passionate search for love， family， home， acceptance， a healthy society， and a promising future， regardless of the obstacles。 Like The Kite Runner， this novel transcends boundaries and illuminates the people and culture of a region that has been reluctantly thrust into the international spotlight。 Above all， however， Alf shams sati'a is a stunning literary accomplishment。