1 Splendid Summary

In the beginning we meet a young Afghan girl named Mariam. She tells of a story about the first time she was called harami, which means bastard. Born in 1959 Mariam was the child of a housekeeper, Nana and her very wealthy boss, Jalil. Jalil was a well- connected businessman who had three wives, nine legitimate children, and then Mariam. Nana has these instances when the “jinn” enters her body and Nana collapses, her body tightens, then her eyes roll back. Nana will foam at the mouth and being to mumble words that no one can make out. The “jinn” has prevented much in Nana’s life, including a possible marriage, and a somewhat normal life. Because of the way Jahil and his wives treated Nana after she became pregnant, Nana shows resentment towards them and despises Jahil. She teaches Mariam that she is worth nothing to anyone, and that no matter what a man will blame fault on women. Nana and Mariam live in a small hut outside Herat, which Jahil lives in. Two of Jahils eldest sons bring food and other necessary supplies to Mariam and Nana every month. Nana said that he sent his sons instead of servants as his idea of penances for his sins. One of Nana’s only friends was Bibi jo, an old women whose husband had worked with Nana’s father. Bibi jo would bring a box of candy for Mariam, and sit gossiping with Nana. Another visitor who Nana and Mariam were fond of was Mullah Faizullah, who was the village Koran tutor. Mullah Faizullah would listen to Mariam, offer his advice, and give her an education. On Thursdays Jahil would come and visit Mariam. He would bring her gifts, and tell her stories of the city. All Mariam had wanted was to live in Jahil’s house, just like his other children. In 1974 for Mariam’s fifteenth birthday she asked Jahil to take her to his cinema to see a movie. Both Nana and Jahil agreed that it wasn’t a good idea. But Jahil eventually agrees to Mariam, telling her to meet him by the stream the next day. When Jahil left Nana became very angry and yelled at Mariam. Nana told Mariam that she would die if Mariam left. The next day Mariam when to meet her father by the stream, he was not there. So Mariam when into the city of Herat in search of her father. After finding her father's house she waited outside the house overnight, and a driver took her home in the morning because her father would not see her. The driver took her home and walked her to her house, there she saw Nana hanging from tree. After Nana’s death Mariam went to live with Jahil and his wives. She stayed in the room he gave her, until one day his wife Afsoon called her downstairs. There they told her she would marry a 45 year old man named Rasheed. She didn't want to marry him and pleaded with her father but she was still married off. Moving to Kabul with Rasheed, Mariam became more reserved and barely spoke. One day she cleaned the house and made dinner, when traveling to the store she met a teacher's wife named Fariba. Rasheed asked Mariam to wear a burqa when she left the house. Telling her that she needed to begin acting like a real wife.

The reading was separated in two parts, before Mariam was married and then after when she moved to Kabul. In both parts there was a person in Mariam’s life that was very controlling of what Mariam, would do. In the beginning it was her mother who told her what to and what to think. Nana tried to project her thoughts and hatred onto Mariam and make Mariam think the same way. In the second part of the book Rasheed is controlling making Mariam wear a burqa, and telling her that she cannot be friends with some of the other women in the neighbourhood. I think this control that others have over Mariam make her weak and timid.