Khaled Hosseini

A Thousand Splendid Suns

• Like a compass needle that points north, a man's accusing finger always finds a woman.-Nana

• What good is it? All this, what good is it? -Mariam

• I dream of you too, Mariam jo. I miss you. I miss the sound of your voice, your laughter. I miss reading to you, and all the times we fished together. Do you remember all the times we fished together? You were a good daughter, Mariam jo, and I cannot ever think of you without feeling shame and regret. -Jalil's letter

• Regret...when it comes to you, I have oceans of it. -Jalil's letter

• Women have always had it hard in this country, Laila, but they're probably more free now,f under the communists, and have more rights than they've ever had before. -Babi

• *Mariam is having a flashback*
• Jailil: Ah yes. Of course. Well then, without further ado...
• (a gold pendent with stars and moons hanging from it)
• Jalil: try it on, Mariam jo.
• Mariam: What do you think?
• Jalil: I think you look like a queen.

• And I wrote to you, Laila. Volumes. -Tariq

• Mariam: I can't beleive what you are now, if you were a Benz before.
• Laila: A jeep? Maybe a jumbo jet?

• Nana (to Mariam): When I'm gone, you'll have nothing in this world. You are nothing!

• Nana (to Mariam) : A man's heart isn't like a woman's womb, Mariam! It won't bleed, it won't make room for you. A man's heart is a wretched, wretched thing. I'm all you have in this world, Mariam and when I'm gone, you'll have nothing. You are nothing!

• Laila (at fourteen years): What would your mother say when she saw you smoke?
• Tariq: She doesn't know
• Laila: That could change
• Tariq: Who's going to tell her? You?
• Laila: Tell your secrets to the wind but don't blame it for telling the trees.

• Tariq: I do it for the girls
• Laila: What girls?
• Tariq: They think its sexy

• Giti: Nobody ever came for my hand.
• Hasina: That's because you have a beard, my dear.

• Tariq (meeting Laila after ten years): It's good to see you, Laila.

• Mullah Faizullah: It wasn't your fault,Mariam. Don't think this way. This will destroy you, my girl. It wasn't your fault.

• Laila: It isn't fair.
• Mariam: No, it is fair. I killed our husband, Laila. I deprived your son of a father. Even if we escape, I...I won't be able to look at him without shame. No, it's my fault. Take care, Laila jo.

• Tariq: For you, Laila, I'd go all over the world