Mariam And Laila Sparknotes

The setting of the book starts off in the city of Herat, Afghanistan then continues in Kabul Afghanistan and briefly in Pakistan. It begins in 1964 and ends in 2003. The story is told from a third person omniscient narrative, alternating between the viewpoints of the two female protagonist, Mariam and Laila. The story begins with Mariam who lives with her mother, Nana, and is an illegitimate daughter to her father, Jalil. Mariam has green eyes, pale skin, a long face, and dull features. She is described as a kind, selfless, patient, and religious person. After her mother’s suicide, Mariam lives with her father, who soon marries her off to her new husband, Rasheed. Rasheed, the antagonist, is thirty or more years older and is mentally, physically,
She is educated, mature, strong-willed, and defiant. Laila’s parents die in a bombing while she is pregnant with Tariq’s child. Tariq was Laila’s closest childhood friend with whom she fell in love. Laila, however, However, she was separated from Tariq due to war. Tariq has hazel eyes, thick dark brown hair, and an amputated leg. He is portrayed as laidback, affectionate, and protective of Laila. On the other hand, Laila grees to marry Rasheed as she in unable to independently protect her child. She ends up having two children, Aziza (Tariq’s child) and Zalmai (Rasheed's child). The story takes a twist when Laila discovers Tariq’s survival when he randomly visits her one day. Rasheed, upon hearing about Tariq’s visit, abuses Laila aggressively, until she is on the verge of dying. In response, Mariam hits Rasheed’s head with a shovel, resulting in his death. Therefore, Laila free of Rasheed leaves with Tariq and her children to Murree, Pakistan. Mariam on the other hand, remains in Afghanistan where she is executed upon confessing her crime. Later on, Laila and her family return to Kabul in hopes of making it a better place by renovating a school that used to be an