2025 Reading Challenge discussion

I just completed chapter 6 and I have a funny feeling I'll be up late tonight reading chapter 7! I typically dislike books with different narrators. I find them confusing especially if the author doesn't give them a distinct voice and 9 out of 10 times I feel like it doesn't add to the story. This book just ebbs and flows; each story is woven together to make a beautifully crafted novel. ok enough jabbering,I have a book to read!

I usually enjoy books with shifting POVs and this one is wonderful so far. Even if I didn't like the focus character in the chapter, they each experienced something shattering that caused me to reshape my opinion. Very moving.

I just finished fourth chapter and last few pages I cried. Starting from the point when Suleiman confessed that he has always loved Nabi. And when Suleiman died my eyes became Niagara Falls.

I'm starting fifth chapter tomorrow. It's already time to sleep in Finland so can't continue reading today.

I thought the scene between Nabi and Suleiman was one of the most tender moments in the whole book. Unrequited love is always touching.

Lynn wrote: "I thought the scene between Nabi and Suleiman was one of the most tender moments in the whole book. Unrequited love is always touching."

I totally agree with you. The interactions between these two beautiful and traic at the same time. What Nali said to Nabi It was always you was a sad/beautiful passage.

I was instantly captivated by the first few sentences in chapter 4. Nabi's story is unbelievable and as upsetting as some parts are, I love how it is written!

I have now read 5th and 6th chapter. Fifth chapter was good but not so special. Though the part when Idris takes his family to eat Afghan food and the owner of the restaurant is Abdullah and it's revealed that Abdullah has a daughter called Pari. ♥

And sixth chapter. Oh my god how I hate Nila! So many lies! I was glad when Pari got the call from Markos and now I hope that she and Abdullah finds each other.

Now time to read 7th chapter..

Merja wrote: "I have now read 5th and 6th chapter. Fifth chapter was good but not so special. Though the part when Idris takes his family to eat Afghan food and the owner of the restaurant is Abdullah and it's r..."

I loved the way he made Pari start to remember little pieces of her old life even though she was very young sje still felt something was a miss in her heart.

I can not believe how much I love this book!

Chapter 4 was so beautiful. The way Nabi's character was revealed was so moving. In the first chapters, he seemed so shallow, but in reality he was a man of great character, and the fact that he told the truth about Pari's real family showed his integrity.

Chapter 5 seemed to be a bit of a sidetrack, but having read chapter 6, I realize it will all be tied together through Timur and Markos. It was ironic, though, that it appeared that Idris was the one who would be responsible and do the right thing, but ultimately it was Timur who took helped Roshi.

Chapter 6 left me in tears, as Pari's memories became stronger. I can't wait until she and "Abollah" are reunited, even though I know I'll be a mess reading it!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book so far.

Chapter 4 was the best by far so far. I love the way in which Nabi is presented by the author.

Chapter 5 was a bit strange. It felt disjointed to me and lacked the flow in chapter 4. Plus the characters were minor characters and were harder to really get to know.

Chapter 6 was good when focused on Pari and her family. I really started disliking her "mother" even more after reading this chapter though. To much pain and heartache for one life. Losing an entire family at such a young age. Then her adoptive father. Then her crazy adopted mother. I was so glad when she met and married her husband and settled down and had a family. Then they had to go and kill her husband off. Can Pari please get a break? For my sake, before I am totally consumed by her pain.

Overall great book. Can't wait to read his other books, as this is the first I have read by this author.

I just finished chapter 5 and my heart broke. I really wanted to see Idris and Roshi reunited in a happier way.

Just finished chapter 6. As much as I want to dislike Nila, she had so much go wrong in her life. I would love to know what her surgery was and if that truly affected how her life went from there.

I loved reading about Pari and her family, I hope she is reunited with Abdullah!

I'm sure she had had a hysterectomy, and was unable to have her own child. That's why Nabi believed he could give her what no one else could.

Didn't think of that. I understood that was Nabi's goal with Pari, which was heart wrenching and loving at the same time.

Claire wrote: "I'm sure she had had a hysterectomy, and was unable to have her own child. That's why Nabi believed he could give her what no one else could."

I agree - she told him at some point that she'd been scraped out, so at any rate, she'd had some kind of gynaecological surgery, whether it was a hysterectomy or an abortion, which left her unable to have children. (Not that an abortion means you can't have children, but it can do - especially if it was botched, and she was very ill after…) And actually, given her wild child history, an abortion is probably the more likely option.

Something later indicated more than an abortion. ;-)

I don't remember anything else. Maybe I just didn't pick up on it...

I don't want to put ithere, so I'll post it in the threadfor 7-9.

It's very small, and really wouldn't give anything away, but just to keep to the rules.....

I just finished chapter 5 and I agree it paled in comparison to chapter 4, but I think it also had interesting themes. I could relate to Idris, so I stayed drawn in. I really love what Hosseini is doing in this book, taking a minor character from one chapter and telling his/her story in the next. This book is fabulous!

Merja wrote: "I just finished fourth chapter and last few pages I cried. Starting from the point when Suleiman confessed that he has always loved Nabi. And when Suleiman died my eyes became Niagara Falls.

I'm s..."

I cried at the end of Chapter 4 too - this was the first story in the book to make me cry.

Jenn wrote: "I just finished chapter 5 and I agree it paled in comparison to chapter 4, but I think it also had interesting themes. I could relate to Idris, so I stayed drawn in. I really love what Hosseini is ..."

I also agree that the Idris and Timur story was more of a sidetrack, but I was still really captivated by it, especially Idris comparing the lives of the people he encountered in Kabul and how it affected his views on his own family and his two sons.

I was so angry with him for not following through on his promise to Roshi. Like so upset with him.

And I completely agree with Claire - it was incredibly ironic that in the end, Timur ended up being the hero. True, he may have the tendency to somewhat flaunt his good deeds, but I think Idris is much worse for being hypercritical of his cousin Timur, when yes it is better to be modest, but from what we see, Timur has helped countless people, including Abdullah in opening his restaurant! And Idris himself.

Idris has nothing to criticize Timur for and he is purely jealous of his cousin for being more popular and more generous than he. Idris claims to value performing good acts with modesty and yet by the end of the chapter, it is obvious he is just a bitter hypocritical person who does not follow through on his promises to do good things for people in need, whether modest or flaunted.

I was so happy with the outcome of this chapter though, when Roshi just smirked at him in a dismissive way, did not say a word to him and had him ushered along after she signed his book. And her message was absolutely perfect: "Don't worry. You're not in it."

I was also really glad to finally see a happy outcome for one of the characters. I was worried that we would find out Roshi ended up dying or something because of Idris's selfishness, so it was really refreshing to see that Timur took care of her, and she ended up being saved from the HORRIBLE tragedy that happened to her, and is now finding success as an author. Warmed my heart.

I love this book so much so far.

I didn't plan on reading so much today, but once I started chapter 4 I had to finish that chapter. I really liked the way the author wrote about Nabi. Not sure I like Nila but I may change my mind the more I read about her past

I've now finished chapters 6 & 7 too. Chapter 6 did seem like a slight diversion from the story but I'm glad Timur came through for Roshi in the end where Idris failed her.

Chapter 7 made me dislike Nila even more. She took Pari away from her family because she thought that a child was what she wanted, but then seemed to push Pari aside. At least Pari still has had a better life even though Nila doesn't give her the love she deserves.

LOVING this book! I love everyone's story and like most have said especially Nabi's story. Heartbreaking but beautiful. A co-worker asked what I was reading and I wasn't quite sure how to explain it so I just explained a few of the chapters. She said how can you continue reading it? I am just so excited to see how everything plays out, whether or not Pari and Abdullah reunite. It is kind of blowing my mind that we met Pari when she was a little 4 year old and now she is an old woman with grandchildren. Crazy how their lives have played out!

Can someone please put up summaries of each chapter. I'm reading this book for school and am having a tough time figuring out what to write for the summaries. That'd be greatly appreciated.

so what exactly happens in chapter 5? I'm confused.