If you haven't read The Kite Runner, well you need to read that too, but of the two books, this one is my favorite. The story takes place in Afghanistan before Taliban rule in 1996 and ends with full Taliban rule. It is the story of Mariam who is the bastard child of her wealthy father and his housekeeper. She lives in a shack with her mother and "lives for Thursdays" when her father comes to see her. When the situation changes for Mariam she thinks her father will take her in. Instead he marries her off, she is 14, to a much older man who takes her away. When she becomes a mother her focus changes. She has someone else to live for and take care of. I am leaving out a lot of important facts, but I want you to have the audible gasp in shock that I did time after time. This is a book that is not only amazing, it educates. I felt I could be a part of the dialogue of the Iraqi/Afghan situation. Total must read.
The Devil You Know, by Louise Bagshawe
This is one of my favorite chick-lit books. It is a page-turner until the very end. I was a very bad mother one morning; I put the t.v. on for the kids and read all morning til I was done. There is so much going on in this book it is a little hard to condense here, but in a very small nutshell, it is the story of triplet sisters who are separated at birth. It switches between each of the sister's stories as they navigate through single hood, work, and love. There is an over-arching story, that of bringing the sisters back together and righting the wrong of their separation. I am sure there is an element of cheese to the characters in this book, but to be honest, I just didn't feel it. I enjoyed it too much. GREAT beach or pool read.
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