Ok, this book was unbelievably beautiful but utterly heart breaking.
Hosseini challenges our media driven views of life in Afghanistan. We know of the issues of military presence, corrupt government officials and the horrendous death counts recorded. We hear about numbers. What we don’t hear about is how life continues around and because of these atrocities. We aren’t exposed to what life is like for the human beings living in Afghanistan.
The relationships at the heart of this story, which at times reads like a series of interwoven shorter stories, were so raw and the central relationship of the novel, that of a brother and sister who worship each other but are cruelly torn apart, holds the link between all of the others. The lives of characters of different ages, from different socioeconomic backgrounds and from across the globe are entwined in shared sorrow and struggles across the decades.
Possibly the strongest theme running through the book is the suffering of human beings. Hosseini, like life itself, does not reserve his suffering for those who deserve it or for those of less favourable circumstances. Instead, he throws out pain and hardships to anyone and everyone.
This book does not have a fairy tale, happily ever after, ending. As a reader, there are so many things that we want wrapped up or drawn together to give some hope, some glimmer of happiness but there is little solace. Throughout the book, the reader can see the missed connections that deny the characters the resolution they, and we, are looking for. We are offered some small resolution in the ending but nothing like what I had hoped for as I invested in the characters throughout the story.
And The Mountains Echoed was an emotional journey like I have never experienced and one that I won’t forget. I read the book a few months ago and am still reeling from my experience. It has become an instant recommended read to anyone who asks. Hosseini is a master of his craft with the ability to rip out my heart and still leave me loving his book and wanting to instantly reread it!
Only If I Can Bring A Book 