Discussion questions for Khaled Hosseini's 'A Thousand Splendid Suns'

Greetings bookmates,

The questions for this Saturday's SBC meeting are -

1. I could not understand Mariam's father. he obviously loved Mariam and visited her weekly, but did not help her out when she most needed it. Was it just because he was weak or didn't want his reputation ruined? Or did his wives have a lot of influence in the household?
2. Was Rasheed just a product of his own evil personality or of the country and culture he grew up in, in a 'Pre-Soviet Invasion" Afghanistan?
3. Throughout the book, there were about 4 different regimes that had control in Afghanistan. The monarchy, the Soviets, then a civil war and then the Taliban. Which was the best and worst for the civilian population?
4. The rules, issued by the Taliban, about what people could and could not do, was astonishing. What would the educated woman living in Kabul have done at this time?
5. I found that there were a few emotional moments in the book when I needed some tissues. Which moments affected you the most?
6. Nana on page 17, said that "There is only one, one skill a woman like you and me needs in life, and they don't teach it in school."..."only one skill. And it's this tahamul . Endure." How true do  you think that was?
7. How would you describe Mariam and Laila's friendship? 
8. Who was your favourite character?
9. Were you satisfied with the ending of the book? Was it too much of a 'happy ending'? Maybe not very realistic compared with the rest of the book?
10. How do you rate the book from 1 to 5?    

P.S. The good news Gail is bringing a friend who spent 18 years in Afghanistan, which is great as this add will add some depth to our discussion.

cheers Nat