Three Revolutions and Women

I read three books in the last 15 days and i was amazed at how similar they were in thought. The three books were:

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and
In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar

Unknowingly i had picked these books which talk about three different revolutions, Afghanistan, Nigeria and Libya. The only difference is that they are not a political commentary nor written as social history. All three are stories of women and children caught in the web of promises, of freedom, liberation, and dreams coming true. There is a parallel between aspirations of the country and these women and children

Khaled Hosseini delivers like he did with his first novel"The Kite Runner" In his second novel we experience the country that we are so used to dismissing as a "terrorist sticken" place through the trials of two women and their lives. The ordinariness of their customs and rituals juxtopositioned against the revolutions makes it all the more interesting. The tale is told through two women, both so as different but who find themselves in similar circumstances. For the first time i related to the country and its residents as "REAL". The plight of the protagonists made me realise how lucky i was to be born in a country which in most parts is truly respectful of women and their rights.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Half of a yellow sun was more involved and had layers that peeled off to show something new as the book progressed. Again the protagonists are two women and their relationships set against the background of the Biafran war. What i loved about the story was that there was no blame, no resentment, no anger just a quiet telling of how things were. It also is a celebration of the human spirit in all its glory. There were shades of everything we as women and human beings had experienced and told in such a matter of fact way without drama. It reminded me of the writing of a great author Chinua Achebe.

The third novel set against the Libyan revolution has a yound boy as it s protagonist, and the story revolves around the family and its experiences during those trying times. What captured my imagination and had me wanting more is the potrayal of the mother. The mental breakdown, the secret alcholism and the escapism makes it all so real. The need to understand that drives the boy to find out about the secrets that his parents keep from him, moves the story along in a fast paced manner. While the entire world was cosying up to Gadaffi, here is what happened internally in that small country. There is blood and gore, pain and passion but there is no anger and resentment. Again like "Half of a Yellow Sun" it s a telling of a story like it is, with no bias.

All the three books deal with human beings, their greed for power whether it be over a nation or other human beings. They attempt not to teach or educate but to make us understand the emotional wreckages that a war leaves in its wake.