په زرګونو جلوه گرانۍ لمرونو

Translation: A Thousand Splendid Suns

(Written in Pashto)

The above photo was taken at sunset in Kabul, Afghanistan. The poem written below the title reflects Khaled Hosseini's feelings and his strong emotional attachment to his homeland where life had once been peaceful and happy. It is also a central theme in the novel, that despite all of the horrors that have occurred, in the end it is still home, and it will always remain as beautiful as it once was. The wars, and the destruction could not erase the feelings of love Hosseini had for his country. The title of the book "A Thousand Splendid Suns" appears throughout the novel and it from a poem written by Saib e Tabrizi in the early 1700's. "One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs, or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls", symbolizes the true essence and beauty of Kabul, home to both protagonists in this novel.